


Wait For It

by Eskayrobot



Series: How Lucky We Are [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Annoying children who won't play nice, Elevator Sex, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fashion & Couture, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Light Angst, Sequel, Smut, attempted non-con, minor descriptions of torture and violence, no worries it doesn't happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-05-01 17:42:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 54,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14525871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eskayrobot/pseuds/Eskayrobot
Summary: Picking up where Click, Boom left off, how will budding model Rey Niima fair in the glamorous world of photographer Kylo Ren? Can she survive paparazzi, gossip blogs, and his temper? Can he survive sharing her with the rest of the word? And will someone please give Phasma a raise?





	1. Repercussions

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!!! I am so excited/nervous to be continuing where we left off!!! Thank you so much to everyone who read [Click, Boom](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14189097/chapters/32706480%20) , you were all so freaking amazing and I love you guys to the moonbase and back for all of your support and encouragement. 
> 
> This is taking place IMMEDIATELY after Click, Boom, so if you haven't read it, please do! 
> 
> Also, this time I'm not finished, as I was a bit too excited to post this instead of waiting until I had more, so if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, please let me know! I have it all mapped out and tightly outlined, but if you want to see something in particular, I'll see what I can work in. I love your input. 
> 
> Please enjoy! All the love as always to my wonderful alpha reader Christina and my smut partner in crime, Poaxath.

Rey sighed, pulling her comforter up over her head and rolling over to face the wall, thoroughly exhausted with how the remainder of her morning had gone.

Rey’s first stop was to Luke, who shrugged it off and told her to please, just communicate next time. She didn’t miss the gleam in his eye, the hint of a smirk as it went unsaid between them that she had spent the night with his nephew. If he had an opinion about what she had done last night, he kept it to himself. Just as she left the room, he praised her work on the photoshoot.

Next up were her roommates. Paige had been sobbing, worried to the point of near anemia at Rey’s unknown fate. Jessika swooped in immediately and ribbed at Rey for finally losing her virginity and admitted to being jealous that Rey had been the one to bed their sexy photographer. Paige followed that up with shouting at her for going to someone’s apartment alone and insisting that they take Rey to a clinic to be sure she hadn’t contracted some sort of STD. Jessika just wanted every dirty detail, giving her an endless stream of hypotheticals and watching Rey’s face for a response.

Finally, after she refused both Paige and Jessika enough times, Rey made her way over to Finn’s apartment. She nearly crashed into him in the hall, trailing behind his roommates on their way to the gym. It was the first time in years that Rey had felt uncomfortable in his presence, her heart aching as she missed the usual comfort and warmth that he brought her. His eyes were cold as he looked down at her.

“Please, Finn,” Rey whispered.

Finn’s jaw twitched but he looked over her head, catching the eyes of his roommates. “Yo, go ahead without me. I’ll catch up.”

Rey heard them grumbled and chuckle, muttering something under their breaths as they shuffled into the elevator. She was glad she couldn’t hear them, she didn’t need anyone else’s judgement. She’d made her decision and she stood behind it. Her only concern right now was repairing any damage that that choice may have caused.

Finn unlocked his apartment, holding the door open for Rey patiently as she slipped inside. The boy’s apartment was the same as hers: tiny kitchen, tiny living room, way too tiny bedroom with bunkbeds, and a far too small bathroom to have to share. It looked like she might imagine a dorm room to look like with a beat-up couch, a thread bared armchair, and two lumpy old beanbags. But there was a brand new flat screen TV with both a PS4 and Xbox One connected to it, controllers strewn on top of pizza boxes and take out containers on their coffee table, older systems tucked underneath the entertainment unit, no dust in sight as the boys frequently changed it up. Rey found herself unintentionally comparing the haphazard space to Kylo’s sleek, in control apartment.

Rey settled herself on the couch, carefully plucking away someone’s t-shirt and laying it on the floor. She watched as Finn moved around the coffee table and sat himself at the other end, his posture too stiff, his gaze darting everywhere but at her. Sighing, Rey scooted forward and grabbed his hands between hers.

“Finn, stop. This is me, Rey. We’re just going to talk,” Rey attempted to soothe.

Finn pulled his hands away, settling them back on his bouncing thighs.

“Fine. What do you want to say?” Finn asked, his tone harsh.

Rey winced. “Finn, please, stop. Why can’t you just talk to me like you normally do? Yesterday we were fine and today…now…”

“Yeah, well, yesterday was different,” Finn ground out.

Rey glared at him. She could only be sweet and tender for so long until her own temper came out. “Are you seriously going to act like I’m a different person now? Are you that immature? Just because I made a decision about what to do with my body doesn’t mean I’m any different than who I was yesterday! I’m still Rey, I’m still your friend! Maker, Finn, you are acting like such an arse!”

“No, Rey, the asshole is the person who you spent the night with last night! Who you—fuck, Rey! And I’m just Finn, your stupid friend who was worried about you! Well excuse _me_ for caring!” Finn spat at her.

“Stop it, Finn! Stop talking like we both don’t know where this is heading! Just say it and get it over it!” Rey shouted.

“I love you! Is that what you want to hear, Rey? Did you want to hear about how I’ve loved you since I first met you and how I’ve spent the last three fucking years trying to be kind and gentle with you because I know how rough your childhood was and I wanted you to feel safe and comfortable before I tried to admit my feelings? And here comes this rich and famous asshole, treating you like I _never_ would, and yet you fall into bed with _him_? Are you fucking kidding me? Do you have any idea how much that breaks my fucking heart? To know that I would have loved you and worshipped you and treated you right, but you went ahead and gave yourself to a fucker who just considers you another notch on his bedpost, another model who went and fucked a photographer!”

Rey never thought she would slap Finn, but here she was, standing above him, handing shaking as it fell back to her side. She hated that she hoped his face stung as much as her hand.

Finn flexed his jaw, giving it a few good rolls before shaking his head and sighing.

“I deserved that,” Finn grumbled. He finally looked up at her, deep brown eyes gentle. “I’m sorry, Rey. That was really out of line and I—I was just speaking from a place of hurt.” He gave another sigh, another quick shake of his head. “I really do love you, you know. And not just in a you’re-my-best-friend sort of way, but in a genuine, I’d-do-anything-for-you way.”

Rey deflated, reaching out to gingerly touch the spot she had slapped. She pulled away when he hissed at the contact and instead cupped his other cheek.

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say. I mean, I did like you a lot, once. But I was so certain that you’d never like me like that, so I just sort of let it die,” Rey admitted.

Finn reached up to cover her hand with his, pressing into her soft skin. “I don’t suppose we can just reverse time and get back there, can we?”

Rey grimaced. “Oh, Finn, I—I just…"

Finn let his hand fall, allowing her to retract as well. He looked away from her, focusing on the wall to his side rather than her face.

“I watched him all weekend, looking at you. At first, I brushed it off, and after I watched him talking to Jess at lunch I figured he was interested in her and I was mistaken. But I kept noticing it, that he was following you with his eyes everywhere you walked. And the look he had in them…it was hard, Rey. I didn’t like the feeling it gave me.” He looked at her now, sincerity ringing in his expression. “I thought it was just a stupid crush, but when I saw him looking at you like he wanted you, I realized how badly I wanted you, too. And when we did our shoot together, when he threw you on that bed and I saw how you looked back up at him...” Finn sighed. “You’re not mine, Rey, you’ve never been anyone’s. But I just—I didn’t want you to be his.”

“So, you Googled him at first chance?” Rey asked. There wasn’t a lot of malice in her tone, but it wasn’t exactly kind.

“Can you blame me? Someone rich and famous abducts my girl, of course I’m going to Google him,” Finn argued.

“I asked him about all of that stuff and he told me the truth. He told me why he went to rehab and about the restraining order,” Rey snapped back.

“I’m sure he gave you the rosiest version of the stories. Who wouldn’t, when they’re trying to fuck someone?” Finn spat, lip curled in disgust.

“If you have to know, there were a lot of decidedly not rosy details to those stories,” Rey replied hotly. “However, he gave me honest truths and I believe him. And besides, that came…after.”

Finn stood up, storming into his kitchen. Rey followed.

“Finn, please, we need to get over this so that we can get back to being friends,” Rey insisted.

Finn opened his fridge and pulled out a beer. She wanted to argue that it was too early to drink, that he was supposed to go work out and drinking would only hinder that, but she knew it wasn’t going to work. Some distant part of her mind helpfully supplied that Luke probably wasn’t going to give him too much grief for missing his scheduled work out. Luke knew too much. It could be annoying.

“Rey, I’m not going to lie to you. It’s going to take me a while to get over this, if ever. I wasn’t kidding when I said that I love you. I do. A lot. I may have thought that I’d just let it simmer until you were ready, but this just made me realize how serious I really was about you. How serious I am,” Finn said, turning and staring down at her. “I’m heartbroken by this but I’m not giving up.”

Rey turned away from his intense gaze, hackles raised as she crossed her arms over her breasts.

“Have you forgotten that it is my choice who I choose?” Rey asked crossly.

Finn shrugged. “I’m not the giving up type. You loved me once, you could very well love me again.”

Rey groaned, rolling her eyes. “See, there it is again! That macho attitude that I can’t stand! Damnit Finn, this isn’t who you are.”

“Well apparently I have to act like a bit of an asshole to get you to like me. I never thought it was true about good girls going for bad boys, but if that’s what it takes to win you back, then I’ll do it,” Finn argued back.

Rey scoffed at him, trying to decide if he was joking or not. There was no way that her sweet, caring Finn was really this utter prick standing before her.

“Fuck, Finn, I’m not some prize to be won!” Rey snapped. She stormed out of his apartment and into her own, throwing herself onto her bed and pulling her comforter up over her head.

This was exhausting. She had run the gambit of too many emotions this morning and she needed a nap to help get her through the rest of it. Dinner with Kylo seemed way too far away and she groaned, wishing it could just be now so she could escape from all of this.

“Rey?”

Rey rolled back halfway and lifted her covers for a moment. Paige was standing in their doorway.

“Can I come in?” Paige asked.

Rey rolled back over and tugged the comforter harder over her head.

“No. All I did was mess everything up,” came Rey’s muffled response.

Rey felt a weight on her bed and she stiffened. It wasn’t like Paige to be assertive. Usually she would back away and wait until the other person opened up again.

“We were worried sick about you. Rose texted me around ten and asked if I’d heard from you.  She said she was supposed to get a text when you got here safely, and she was concerned when you hadn’t. She told us who gave you a ride and I told Jess and Luke. We didn’t tell Finn. We…we knew, Rey. We all knew how head over heels he was for you,” Paige began.

“Yeah, thanks for telling me,” Rey muttered. She sighed and pulled the covers back for a bit, only her eyes exposed so she could shoot Paige a mock glare. She knew it wasn’t Paige’s fault, so she really couldn’t direct too much anger at her.

Paige smiled kindly at her. “It seemed like something you guys would eventually work out on your own. You were always getting booked for gigs together, we were certain that eventually you’d have to get a bit sexual and feelings would get exposed.” Paige laughed. “I mean, that is exactly what happened, just not how we thought.”

Rey groaned.

“Finn found out because Poe couldn’t keep his big mouth shut. Poe was only too happy to spew every bit of dirt he had on Kylo, plus how he had tried to get you to ride with him but apparently Kylo practically threw you into his car and sped off, instead,” Paige said.

“That’s not true!” Rey cried, throwing the comforter down further so that she could sit up. “Poe’s car was full so Kylo offered me a ride instead. I mean, Kylo was sort of a pushy jerk about it, but Poe was also being weirdly pushy, so neither of them should get to point a finger!”

“Poe’s known Kylo for years so he knows what he’s like better than any of us. He knows all about Kylo’s dating history and he didn’t want you getting tossed into that,” Paige pointed out.

“What are you talking about?” Rey pressed.

“He has a reputation, Rey. He _only_ dates models.” Paige turned and gestured to the collage on Rey’s wall, pointing out the section of Kylo’s pictures. “He’s been involved with this one, that one, her, these two, that one, _and_ him.”

Rey looked at the models Paige had pointed out, realizing that she had indicated to nearly half of those depicted on her wall. They were all gorgeous, and so high fashion it burned her with jealousy. Some were blondes, some were brunettes, and one of the girls even had that rose gold hair that was so popular right now. They were in a league far above Rey and she wondered why, why in the world he had wanted her.

“Why do you think I wanted you to go to a clinic? I’m not saying anything about any of these people, I’m sure everyone here is respectful of their bodies and whatnot, but I want to know that you were safe.” Paige noticed the way Rey avoided her eyes and she furrowed her brow. “You _were_ safe, weren’t you?”

“You know I’m on birth control,” Rey said quietly, looking down at her hands. All the girls were. It helped to be able to skip your period if you had a swimsuit shoot come up suddenly, plus it helped keep their skin clear.

Paige sighed heavily, shaking her head. “You’re an adult, Rey, and I can’t tell you what to do with your life or your body. But now is as good of a time as any to remind you that one, no form of birth control except for abstinence is 100% effective, and two, it isn’t the wisest thing to just blindly trust a guy you barely know that he’s clean. Again, I’m not making any assumptions about Kylo Ren. He’s a very rich man, I’m sure he is in excellent health and he cares very much about maintaining that. I’m more speaking in general.”

Rey nodded, looking down at her hands in her lap.

“Hey, I’m not trying to shame you here. I know you and I know that you weren’t coerced into anything you didn’t want. Actually, I’m fairly certain that it was you who jumped him and not the other way around. You’re a take charge type of girl, I’ve always admired that about you. I’m just here to be your neighborhood mom friend who reminds you that protection is great and there is nothing better than peace of mind from getting tested, even if you are positive you have nothing to worry about,” Paige said with a bright smile.

Rey sighed, leaning over and into Paige’s shoulder. “I screwed everything up with Finn. He’s sitting over there, drinking and spewing misogynistic bullshit, talking about how I’ll come back to him and whatever else.”

Paige turned so that she could hug Rey to her chest, giving her hair a gently petting. “He’s bound to act like a pissbaby for a while. He probably felt entitled to your virginity, which is hilarious because we all know he isn’t one anymore and isn’t that an awful double standard? But he’s always viewed you as his, even if you didn’t view him as yours, so in his brain, everything he’s doing is justified.” Paige shrugged. “But the best part about all of this is that he’ll get over it. We’re young, our brains are still developing, and hormones make us confused. He’ll eventually realize that his affection for you was probably only so deep because you’ve known each other for so long and it’s easy to become attached to someone you’re so familiar with. That, or you really are the love of his life and he’s going to go crazy and attempt to like murder Kylo or something.”

“Paige!” Rey giggled, giving her friend a slap in the arm.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Or maybe I’m not? Only time will tell, that’s for sure. In the meantime, don’t let anyone shame you for what happened. Did you have fun?” Paige asked.

Rey blushed, burying her face into Paige’s neck to hide as she mumbled out a “yes”.

“Do _you_ regret it? And don’t say yes just because the fallout hasn’t been pretty!”

Rey shook her head vigorously.

“Good. Then Jess and I will focus on forcing Finn to get over himself and things will eventually get back to rights. We have go sees tomorrow and Luke said something about contracts for another campaign so one or more of us are probably off somewhere again really soon,” Paige revealed.

“I have a date with Kylo again tonight,” Rey muttered into the hollow of Paige’s collar.

“You _what_? Rey Niima, you did _not_ say that before!” Paige squealed, practically shoving Rey away from her. “Jess, get in here! He asked her out, tonight!”

Jessika wasted absolutely zero time charging into their room. “You’re shitting me! What the fuck, Rey? Is your pussy magic or something? I thought guys hated virgins!”

“Maker, Jess, watch your fucking mouth!” Paige scowled.

Rey drew her comforter up again, trying to hide her giggle behind it as Jessika and Paige argued. Jessika moved like a whirlwind around their tiny bedroom, throwing outfit ideas on Rey’s bed, not caring whose section of the closet they came out of. Paige was right behind her, shoving the more revealing stuff right back in and insisting that Rey go for classy. Jessika pointed out that he already saw all the good stuff and that it was best to keep reminding him of what he could have again. Paige shot back that being coy was better, _especially_ after they’d already done it.

At least this part of her life was still normal.  

 


	2. Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jess and Paige prepare Rey for her date. Jess reveals a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, as always, to my amazing alpha Christina, who loves Jessika just as much as I do.

Rey tried her best not to jump at her phone all day long. Kylo was a photographer, very famous and in demand. There was surely more he had to do today than just go over the film from this weekend and discuss shots with Leia Organa. As day wore on, Rey began to convince herself that Kylo was probably so swamped with work, he was too busy for her. He probably forgot about their dinner plans. It was stupid to get hopeful. Maybe guys really didn’t like virgins? She saw how many models Paige had pointed out, and who knew how many others there were. Maybe this was just his style? He taunted them, tempted them, took them to bed, and then vanished. She _had_ said that she’d be professional should they ever met again if that was the case, but now there was a hollow feeling in her chest and a queasiness in her stomach and she knew that was a lie.

“You are giving me anxiety checking your phone every six seconds,” Jessika scolded as they walked back from the gym. “The only thing you just worked out were your eyeballs, constantly looking down at that thing. You could have done bicep curls just lifting you phone up every time.”

“Alright, Jess!” Paige snapped, rolling her eyes. “You’re not clever.”

Jessika shrugged. “Whatever. I’m just saying, she’s acting desperate. Aloofness is the way to go!”

“Says the girl who wanted to outfit her in two inches of a latex skirt?” Paige retorted.

“The body says yes, but the eyes, are they saying no? Who knows! It’s the thrill of the chase!” Jessika whooped, far too energetic for the amount of working out they had just done.

“I didn’t even give him my number,” Rey muttered. That thought had been gnawing at her since sometime in the middle of her breakfast.

“He already has it,” Paige reassured her. “It’s on the contact sheet for the shoot, remember?”

Rey nibbled on her lip and nodded, throwing a glance down at her phone again. “That’s true.”

“Hey,” Jessika said softly, looping her arm with Rey’s. She bumped their shoulders together gently and smiled when Rey looked up at her. “He’ll call. I’m sorry if I’m teasing you too much. A, you know I’m jealous. But B, you know I’m beyond thrilled that this is happening for you. I’ve waited for years for you to finally like someone enough to do the deed, and you couldn’t have picked someone better. He’s a babe and so are you and he is definitely not going to let you get away that easily.”

_“I don’t know if I would give you up.”_

The words echoed in Rey’s mind and she felt a pleasant tingling to recall them. He had looked so sincere, so reverent and open, there was no way he was just feeding her lines to sleep with her.

“I should be thanking you, anyway,” Jessika was happily chirping on.

“Me? What for?” Rey asked.

“I have a date tomorrow night!” Jessika replied.

“You do not!” Paige snapped.

“Yes I do!” Jessika argued.

“What does that have to do with me?” Rey butt in, knowing things would spiral quickly between her roommates.

“It’s because you went missing,” Jessika replied, as if it were obvious.

“What? Are you hooking up with another police man or something? We didn’t even call them, Jess,” Paige reminded her.

A far-off smile ghosted on Jessika’s lips as she thought of lover’s past. “Ah yes, I nearly forgot about my brief foray into men in uniform. Good summer.” She then sighed. “Anyway, obviously no, that wasn’t it. It’s Poe.”

Rey and Paige came to an abrupt halt, Jessika nearly getting whiplash as the girl she was attached to stopped moving.

“Poe Dameron?” Rey attempted to clarify.

Jessika nodded, tugging on Rey’s arm. Foot traffic was heavy and she didn’t want them getting bogged down by too many businesspersons fighting to get home.

“As in wardrobe stylist of our photo shoot, Poe Dameron?” Paige added.

Jessika nodded again.

“Okay, Jess, we need to hear more of a story than just that,” Rey prompted.

Jessika looked back at them and grinned. “There isn’t much to say. He was messaging me about being worried about Rey, I was messaging him back. He mentioned how he would have given Rey a ride home, I said I’d have let him give me a ride home, he said he’d love to give me a ride home, I said I’d love to ride him…you know, standard stuff.”

“Jessika Pava!” Paige shrieked.

Rey rolled her eyes. “So glad the idea of my maybe being kidnapped or worse brought you true love.”

“Oh please, we didn’t say any of that stuff until after we knew you were safe and sound. What kind of a friend do you take me for?” Jessika retorted.

Rey couldn’t help but feel bad. Jessika was a massive flirt, a hopeless romantic deep down but more of a practical “eh, why not” type of girl on surface, however she’d never put a hookup before her friends. On more than one occasion she’d left behind a date just to come to a friend’s sides if they needed her, no matter how trivial the matter. Her logic, as she’d explained to a still underaged Rey once, was that if the guy was pissed, then he clearly wasn’t worth it. Any guy worth honestly pursuing would be understanding and allow her to attend to anything, trusting that she’d come back. So far, every guy had been pissed at being blown off and she carried no guilt, glad she hadn’t laid back for anyone so self-absorbed. She may have presented herself as a hookup queen, but she was a girl of substance and standards and she’d be damned for any man to challenge that.

“I didn’t even know you were interested in him,” Paige pointed out.

Jessika shrugged. “I didn’t really think I was either. But when he was helping me undress after my solo shoot and no one else was in wardrobe with us…”

“What?” Rey pressed, eyes wide with anticipation.

“Nothing, really. It was just this sort of charged moment. Me in just my panties, him just…there. I mean, he’s a standup guy and I know he never snuck a peak at any of us, and I think that’s sort of what endeared me? I thought he was going to kiss me and then he didn’t, and I was surprised I felt so…I dunno, let down? And then when I was letting him out of our room after Princess Paige demanded her beauty sleep, he kissed my hand and winked at me. I would have let that all go, but the way he was worried about Rey just…well, I couldn’t help wanting to shoot my shot at that point. He’s sexy, he’s considerate, _and_ he cares about my best friend? Sounded worth my time,” Jessika explained.

Rey and Paige caged Jessika between their arms, giggling and shrieking in joy as they hopped along the sidewalk.

“Jessika and Poe, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

Jessika rolled her eyes and pushed out of their embrace, smiling and shaking her head.

Rey was ready to charge back after her when she felt her phone vibrate.

“Guys! Fuck! What do I do? What do I do?” Rey suddenly panicked, staring down at the unknown number with a Coruscant area code.

“You answer it, dummy!” Paige yelled. She pushed Rey into an alleyway, standing at the entrance with Jessika as they waited on bated breath for Rey to answer her phone.

Rey took a deep breath and finally slid the little green icon up. “Hullo?”

“Hey, Rey. It’s Kylo,” Kylo greeted, sounding breezy and confident.

“Hi, Kylo,” Rey said. Ugh, that was lame.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. It was a pretty insane day battling with everyone over the spread direction, and then Anna had to give her input and she kept pushing us towards a different choice,” Kylo explained.

Rey wished she was savvy enough with industry people that she could so casually refer to the editor-in-chief of _Vogue_ like that, simply her first name and nothing more. Rey had a feeling that if she ever met Anna Wintour she’d probably end up calling her ‘Your Majesty’ or something equally as embarrassing.

“That’s, um, that’s okay,” Rey finally said, realizing she had been too silent as she contemplated all the embarrassing things she’d do in Anna Wintour’s presence.

“Is this a bad time or something?” Kylo asked, concern coloring his deep voice.

“What? No! Not at all! No!” Rey bleated. She cringed, momentarily pulling her phone away from her face and making a hissing noise at herself. She didn’t have to look up at Paige and Jessika to know what looks they had on their faces. “Um, no. This time is fine. I mean, I’m walking home from the gym right now so it’s a bit…noisy?”

“I wasn’t enough of a work out for you?” came Kylo’s husky response.

Rey thought about their conversation in the shower, a deep blush traveling from her cheeks to her chest.

“I’d say you worked out more than I did this morning,” she replied, not at all with the same sexual energy he had. Why wasn’t she blessed with the ability to flirt like a normal person?

That didn’t seem to bother Kylo, however. “I like to work out a few times in the day. I’d love to have you as my partner again, if you’d want.”

That wasn’t fair, Rey thought. How could he so easily turn her half-hearted attempt at banter around into something far more sexual? Maybe there was a book she could read to help her out, or she could spy on Jessika on her date with Poe. Someone had to be available to teach her.

“Rey?” Kylo asked, suddenly concerned again.

Rey sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m not good at this.”

“I think you’re perfect, Rey.”

She could almost feel the warmth of his smile through the phone. It was enough to melt her bones.

“Would you still like to have dinner with me tonight?” Kylo asked softly.

“Yes,” Rey breathed. Simple, one word.

“Fantastic. I’m just leaving my office now, I have to swing by my place to take a quick shower and change. Does 7:30 give you enough time?” Kylo asked.

Rey pulled her phone away for a moment to look at the time. It was just past six, the girls having finished their work out just as the after-work rush was coming through. They were only a block away from home now, it wouldn’t take her too long.

“That sounds perfect,” Rey replied. “Any certain dress code I should be thinking of?” she asked. There were endless possibilities for restaurants in Coruscant, she wanted to be prepared for whatever type of place they walked into.

“Wear anything you want, Rey. You’d sell any garment in any situation. I would know, I’m a photographer,” Kylo encouraged, voice dipping husky again at the end.

Rey felt her body go warm. How was this so effortless for him? Thinking back to the models on her walls, she wondered why in the world he was at all interested in her.

“Sounds great,” Rey said.

“I’ll see you soon, Rey,” Kylo promised.

“Goodbye,” Rey said.

“Bye.”

Rey stared down at her phone, heartrate beginning to increase. She had just around an hour and a half to get ready. An hour and a half to wash off the sweat, finalize an outfit, and figure out something with her hair and her face. She briefly considered texting Rose or Kaydel but knew that that was inappropriate.

“So, what happened?” Jessika pressed, coming to stand before her.

“I cannot even honestly tell if that went well or not,” Paige added, brows furrowed in concern.

“He’s gonna pick me up at 7:30,” Rey said, looking up at them finally.

“Well don’t just stand there!” Jessika yelped, grabbing Rey’s wrist and pulling her into a run.

“Why does everyone always want to run?” Paige panted as she chased after them. “Some of us are sore! Slow down!”

“I bet Rey was saying that this morning!” Jessika announced to the entire block, laughing.

Rey pulled her wrist out of Jessika’s hold but continued to run after her, gym shoes bouncing painfully over her shoulder. She couldn’t help but smile at Jessika’s lame, tired joke. As she glanced back at Paige, she saw that she, too, was chuckling even as she jogged.

They made it back to the apartment in record time, panting and laughing as they made their way up to the apartment. The girls allowed Rey to shower first, declaring that they were going to go lay out the final selections for her outfit. Rey ran a razor over her usually-waxed parts, clearing away any stubble that may have somehow appeared throughout the day. She made sure to wash her body over twice, suddenly feeling nervous.

Would they even have sex again? Was that required? It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have sex with him again, in fact that had been consuming her mind for most of her day, but she couldn’t help but wonder at the etiquette and expectations. He hadn’t given her the impression that he was only in it for that, of course. In fact, he had tried to dissuade her last night, content with just making out if she had been too sore, and when the time came this morning, he was concerned once more about her wellbeing. That wasn’t just-in-it-for-sex behavior. Feeling reassured by this, Rey gave a final rinse and got out of the shower.

Rey wrapped her light blue towel around her body and made her way into their bedroom.

“You have to wear these, no matter what,” Jessika said, shoving a handful of something at Rey the moment she walked in.

Rey blinked down at the material in her hands and blushed. It was the purple and black lace underwear set she had been wishing for last night. When she looked back up at Jessika, she was met with a wink.

“We’ll have to take you shopping for more later, but hey, it’s high end,” Jessika said.

“Are you just saying that because you want to go, too?” Paige teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Oh please, we all feel sexy when we get to try on overpriced underthings that we’re all hoping some man is going to rip off with his teeth. And don’t even pretend I don’t know what’s in your lingerie drawer, Paige Tico,” Jessika shot back, smirking.

“Fair,” Paige conceded.

“We’ll both leave the room so you can pick your outfit sans judgement,” Jessika promised. As she passed by a partially-dressed Rey, she gave her a little slap on her butt. “Damn this looks good on you. We gotta work on getting you a lingerie contract.”

“I bet I know a photographer who’d be only too happy to shoot it,” Paige added as she moved out of the room.

“I know exactly how Rey can pay him, too,” Jessika finished.

The two girls collapsed into a fit of giggles until they realized that it was time to battle it out for who got next shower. Paige won, and Jessika sulked in the kitchen, guzzling some red Gatorade and glaring at the door as she waited her turn.

Meanwhile, Rey considered the outfits. The first was cute and simple: a pair of her own brown leggings, Paige’s teal long sleeved tunic, Jessika’s below the knee brown riding boots, and Paige’s complimentary teal and bronze jewelry. The next outfit was a bit more daring: Jessika’s red skater dress, Rey’s black leather jacket, Paige’s black leather ankle boots, and Rey’s red and black plaid scarf. The final outfit was the most daring: Rey’s black mini skirt, Jessika’s white lace short sleeved blouse that was practically see-through, and Paige’s black suede over the knee stiletto boots with silk lacing up the back.

The first outfit, while cute, seemed more appropriate for a daytime date. The second outfit, though fun and flirty, seemed more like something you’d go to a concert in. Rey chewed her lip as she considered the last one. She grabbed a black camisole out of her side of the closet and then Paige’s long, thick, black draped cardigan. As she pulled the pieces together, she thought about Kylo and his wardrobe of all black, except for the fact that he wore white underneath. They had no way on knowing that they’d accidentally emulated his fashion choices onto her, and perhaps that was why she picked it.

Rey admired herself in the mirror. The white blouse popped against her tan skin, the edges of the lace from her bra just barely peaking over the black tank top below, visible in the V-cut of the shirt. Rey had tucked the blouse into her miniskirt, the fabric tight from her waist and just long enough to cover her butt. The space between her skirt and the tops of the boots made her tan skin look ever darker, her legs appearing extra-long against the black backdrop of the loose cardigan that prevented any accidental mooning and brushed along the lacing at the back of the boots. The sleeves were loose over Rey’s arms, tapering down to a cinched cuff around her wrists. She added a black velvet choker from Jessika’s tray of jewelry. The overall appearance was sexy but innocent, covered but tempting.

“Excellent additions!” Paige cheered when Rey exited the bedroom. “I told Jess that top was too see-thru and that you would never be caught dead walking around Coruscant in the fall with your bra on display.”

“It’s a cute bra! Everyone should see it!” Jessika hollered from the bathroom. “But fair!”

Paige and Rey laughed.

“How were you thinking of doing your hair?” Paige asked.

“My usual,” Rey replied. She had mulled it over in the shower. Kylo had seen her in numerous styles of hair and makeup over the weekend, but barely got to spend any time with her looking like her everyday self. She almost felt like she had sold him a lie, so she had decided that her normal hairstyle, which he only got to enjoy for a total of a half hour this morning, would have to be it.

“Good call,” Paige praised. “It’s uniquely you. No one else rocks that style but you.”

Rey beamed at the acclaim and stood in front of the mirror that hung above their couch, working her hair with easy familiarity.

Their living room was far less dizzying than that of their next-door neighbors. They had a similarly old couch and mismatched arm chairs, but the girls had hidden them underneath matching covers, all draped in a pale blue. There were pink and purple pillows on each piece, bridging all their favorite colors. They had one end table, set between the couch and the chair closest to the front door, a dumping ground for their mail. In the other joining corner was a tall bright pink lamp with multiple bendable arms sticking out of it so light could be thrown wherever they wanted. They had a chest in the center of the seating area that held their extra blankets and one guest pillow, usually covered in their laptops and charging cellphones. They had painted ceramic coasters when all they had first moved in together, always berating the boys to use them. Their TV was only two years old than the one the boys had, and they had their own set of gaming consoles, although they preferred Paige’s old N64 the most. On one side of their TV were shelves packed with their movies and games, while one on the other side had their books, each girl with her own shelf. There was a coatrack on the other side of their front door and a hallway runner that matched the large rug in the center of their furniture. They had their photos everywhere, framed ads from magazines and taped up pictures they had taken together in photobooths or printed from kiosks. That wasn’t to say that there wasn’t any mess, as their shoes were lined up in almost total chaos next to the coat rack, spilling onto the runner and threatening any unknowing soul with some serious trippage, but it was all together a comforting and peaceful area.

Jessika cheered her own approval as she exited the bathroom in her bright pink bathrobe, her hair wrapped up in a matching towel. She and Paige happily chatted with Rey as she applied her makeup, all three girls agreeing that the outfit was bold enough, so she shouldn’t overdue anything else. A slight cat eye, a light blush, and a bright red lip was all they decided that she needed. They did have a minor argument over fragrance, Jessika pushing fruity, Paige flowery, and Rey overwhelmed by their myriad of choices, so they let her just close her eyes and pick (she picked a fragrance with a slight spice and the girls all agreed that it was probably the most appropriate for fall).

It was Paige who heard Rey’s phone chirp it’s notification.

_I’m here. Do you want me to come up?_

“You haven’t saved his number yet?” Paige gaped, looking down at Rey’s phone.

“Hey! I forgot! I was sort of panicking, remember?” Rey snapped, snatching it away and yanking the charging cord out in the process. She read over the message and looked at her friends nervously. “He wants to come up. Should I let him come up?” She looked around their apartment.

“It’s not like he needs to meet your friends or anything, he already knows us,” Jessika reassured her. “Just get down there and have some fun.” She handed Rey the purse they had just finished filling with essentials and gave her a wink. “Go do all the things I would do.”

 _I’ll be down in just a minute_!

Rey double checked her message before sending it, taking a quick moment to save his number in her phone like Paige had reminded her to do. She hesitated, wondering what to enter. She had called him Kylo Ren, everyone else had called him Kylo Ren, so she figured that adding him in there as that wasn’t wrong. She resisted the urge to add any emoji’s after his name, already imagining the horrifying moment when he would accidentally pick up her phone and see all the of hearts and kissy faces she’d added in a moment of teenage-fantasy-fueled emotions.

Rey draped a white infinity scarf around her neck, confident that Paige’s sweater would keep her warm enough in the chilly evening air. It had taken her a long time to get adjusted to the cold weather, having been abandoned in the desert wasteland of Jakku as a child, only making it clear across the country through a series of foster homes and sheer determination. But the sun still seemed to burn in her veins and she soon adjusted to the falling temperatures. Besides, the weather channel had warned that the warm front would be ending in the next two days and she didn’t want to pull out her coats just yet.

“Text us if you’re not coming home this time,” Paige said as she gave Rey a hug goodbye.

“Yeah, we meant it this time,” Jessika added, joining in on the hug and crushing Rey between their bodies.

“I’ve apologized a hundred times already!” Rey protested. Still, when they all pulled away, she gave them a sheepish smile. “I promise.”

“And remind him that there cannot be any more hickey’s! We have go sees tomorrow!” Jessika hollered as Rey walked out the door.

Rey looked over to Finn’s door, hoping he hadn’t heard the first part. While she was less than pleased with his attitude, she respected his broken heart and didn’t want to make this any harder than it needed to be.

With a final look in the mirror in her purse, Rey exited the elevator and walked out to meet Kylo at the curb.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who read the first chapter!!! I'm floored with all of my return readers (I love you guys! Our comment discussions are my favorite <3 ) and hello to all of the new ones! You all SPOILED me with 91 kudos!!!! I love you guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you on Thursday!!


	3. A New Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My most humble apologizes for the day-late post!!!! I went straight from work to a movie last night, and after that I was too exhausted to do anything at all. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!

Kylo was leaning against his car, somehow having scored the prime space directly in front of their building. Rey would have rolled her eyes at such impossible luck if everything about Kylo Ren didn’t already seem impossible enough. Like the fact that he was standing there, looking like sex on a stick in his black jeans and tight black sweater, waiting to take her on a date. Her. Rey Niima, a nobody from nowhere who had no one. How was anything about him real?

Kylo pushed off from his car the moment he saw Rey exit the building, a slow smirk twisting on his lips as his eyes trailed up her body. There was that look again, that darkness in his eyes that made her shiver. He approached her quickly, his large hands sliding beneath the cardigan and pressing against her lower back, so dangerously close to her ass as he pulled her close.

“Hey,” Kylo whispered in a simple greeting, leaning down to capture her lips in a kiss.

Rey moaned against him, kissing him back just as eagerly, her hands on his chest and clutching his soft sweater. She pressed against him, not caring if anyone saw. And she knew that did, as her block wasn’t necessarily quiet, living as close as she did to the center of the city.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t call,” Rey whispered against his lips as he pulled away. She was grateful she had sealed her lipstick so well; he needed no help getting those gorgeous lips looking plump and red like she did.

Kylo’s chuckled vibrated in her own chest, their bodies still pressed together.

“Where’s that confidence we talked about last night, Rey?” he asked her, leaning forward to nip at her lip again. His eyes were so dark, a smirk on his lips. He looked like he could eat her alive.

Rey blushed, remembering what happened immediately following that conversation.

Kylo maintained an arm around her waist as he led her back to his car, opening her door for her and helping her step down into her seat.

“I’m surprised you don’t use a car service,” Rey commented when Kylo got in. “I didn’t think anyone in Coruscant owned their own car. You have two.”

“A love of cars is one of the only things I share with my father,” Kylo replied.

Rey didn’t miss the shortness of his words, his tone neutral but still blocking off any possibility of that conversation continuing further. _Right_ , she knew that. _Way to go, Rey. Five minutes into your first date ever and you’ve already ruined things_. She stared down at her lap, fidgeting with the chain-link strap of her purse.

Kylo pulled the car into traffic and then reached over to grab her left hand. At his reassuring squeeze, Rey felt herself relax. He wasn’t angry at her for bringing it up, she realized, it just wasn’t a topic he was comfortable discussing. She could understand better than most people the need to avoid discussing a parent or two. She squeezed his hand back, a promise to not press the issue.

“When is your next shoot?” Kylo asked as he drove.

“We have go sees tomorrow and Paige said that Luke was talking to someone about something, but as usual, he was vague,” Rey replied.

“I suppose that means I shouldn’t keep you up all night long,” Kylo said.

Rey looked up at him and saw the smirk on his face. She felt one on her own.

“I was reminded that hickeys are less than desirable with designers,” Rey teased.

“I’ll just have to leave them some place a designer won’t see,” Kylo replied lowly.

Rey felt a rush of arousal shoot right through her. She knew exactly where those places would be, and she knew how much he liked kissing her there.

“You won’t have to do that much longer,” Kylo said, voice returning to a normal conversational tone.

“What do you mean?” Rey asked.

“Go sees, meeting designers for castings. As soon as the House of Organa campaign launches in a few weeks, you’re going to be a household name and designers will be coming to you. Not to mention that her whole fall runway show is going to be built around you, and everyone who is anyone does not miss her show,” Kylo said. He gave another smirk, this one bordering on cocky. “Plus, the fact that I shot your spread will speak very highly of you.”

Rey remembered his innocent declaration that he wanted to help further her career. She then thought about the models on her walls, wondering who he said that to amongst them. They were all models she could name, people who worked regularly and boasted an impressive portfolio full of high-end clients. They were models who no longer had to live in model housing, models who worked for a minimum of $10,000 a shoot, who got flown all over the world to shoot at exotic locations. A photograph by Kylo Ren meant the type of attention and acclaim necessary to be an in-demand model. She wondered what dating Kylo Ren also meant.

“I guess this isn’t terribly unusual for you. You’ve dated the models you’ve photographed before,” Rey muttered.

“Where did you hear that?” Kylo asked. “Someone Googling me again?”

“No,” Rey replied, short and honest.

“But someone told you?” Kylo continued.

Rey tried to give an air of carelessness, pulling her hand gently from his hold and returning it to her lap. She feigned looking at her phone, hoping she was selling the idea that she was completely unaffected to think of his dating history. For all he knew, she was a dating machine who was simply still a virgin by choice, up until yesterday. It wasn’t like her decision to sleep with him had any sort of meaning beyond two physically attractive people giving in to the weekend-long build of sexual tension. She wasn’t some head-over-heels teenager who was ready to declare her love to him simply because she’d forever remember that she lost her virginity to him in a bout of mind-blowingly awesome sex. He was allowed to have a life before meeting her, allowed to experience whatever experiences he had. It had no bearing on her at all. None. And she was absolutely not comparing herself to those models on her walls. Not at all.

“It’s not that big of a deal, Kylo,” Rey said. “You’re an adult, you’re allowed to date whomever you choose.”

“Thank you for your approval, Miss Niima,” Kylo replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rey winced. Why was she letting herself get so worked up? She liked Kylo, and he seemed to like her. Nothing else should matter, right?

Kylo pulled up to a fancy looking restaurant, one Rey recognized from magazines. Famous people ate here a lot, it was the type of place that producers came to discuss next projects and starlets were wooed into taking a painfully underpaid starring role opposite a far-too-old for her leading male being paid far-too-much. Rey was glad she had picked the black and white outfit, knowing she was just underdressed versus painfully underdressed had she picked one of the other two. She made the mental note to dress up more were they to have another date. She hoped she would get the opportunity.

There were three impeccably groomed young men waiting at the valet station, two approaching to open the car doors. Rey’s attendant helped her out of the car, Rey smiling gratefully at him, which he returned in kind. Kylo was suddenly there, brushing the young man off with a dismissive wave and wrapping an arm around Rey’s waist, leading her over to the third valet who was waiting with Kylo’s ticket.

“Enjoy your meal, Mr. Ren,” the valet said as he handed Kylo over his ticket.

Rey looked back at the valet who had helped her, noticing the way he was actively avoiding her eye contact. The valet at the stand was quietly berating him and she wondered what he had done wrong.

There were two more men who held the doors open for them, simultaneously greeting Kylo, who seemed content to give them the barest of nods. Rey smiled at them, shooting them both quick thanks for holding the doors open. The maître d nearly fell over himself with excitement when he saw Kylo, brushing past other waiting couples to greet them.

“Good evening, Mr. Ren. We weren’t expecting to see you again so soon,” the man gushed.

Rey brushed that comment away. There were any number of reasons for Kylo to come here, it didn’t mean he had brought a date. Why was she so focused on that? Wasn’t their being together now what really mattered? Were they even together?

Rey zoned back into the conversation the maître d was having with Kylo.

“—this way, Mr. Ren!” he was finishing, gesturing for them to follow him.

Kylo’s hand was warm and commanding on the small of her back as he encouraged her along. Rey wanted to huff that she was perfectly capable of following someone, but she liked the feeling of his large hand splayed between her sweater and shirt, the heat of him seeping through the layers of fabric. His hands were so large, he nearly spanned her from side to side. She stomped down thoughts of what those hands could do; that wasn’t proper to think about in a nice restaurant.

Kylo brushed away the maître d’s attempt to help Rey to her seat, pulling out her chair and pushing it in. The maître d waited until Kylo was likewise seated and distributed the menu’s, promising the best server. They were seated in the center of the restaurant, the center of attention. Rey couldn’t help but notice that other patrons were looking at them and whispering, none too discreetly. Her cheeks burned and she tried to distract herself from the attention by looking at the menu in her hands.

Or at least, she tried to decipher the menu. Half of it was in French, some of it was in Italian, neither of which she knew, and the prices accompanying each item were more than she paid for groceries for the week. She thought of the money in her purse, wondering how much she could really spare to this dinner. The money from Leia was sure to hit her account soon, and it was nothing at all to sneeze at, but she had plans for that money.

“I’ve taken the liberty of pulling your favorite bottle of wine for you, Mr. Ren,” the waiter said as soon as he appeared at their sides, immediately filling both wine glasses up.

Rey frowned at the red liquid and prepared to protest, to explain that she wasn’t old enough to drink yet, but neither man was paying any attention to her. The waiter’s eyes were trained solely on Kylo, who was looking at the menu with passive interest.

“What did you want, Rey?” Kylo asked, finally glancing up at her.

“Oh! Um—I—bruschetta?” Rey asked, glancing down at a word she recognized. She was glad she at least knew the proper pronunciation for that, hitting the “k” instead of the “ch” people thought was at the center of the word. She had a feeling she would be made fun of if she tried to pronounce any of these words wrong, no matter how widely accepted the pronunciation was.

“What else, Rey?” Kylo pressed, dark brows raised in expectation for more.

Rey didn’t like the way he was saying her name. It reminded her of the beginning of the photoshoot, when he was hard and cruel with her and her fellow models. Why was he being like this?

“Um—this salad? Here?” Rey asked, gesturing at the menu and looking at the waiter in hopes that he would take some matter of pity on her. She hadn’t wanted a salad, she actually wanted something with more substance, but she was caught off guard and just picked another word that she recognized.

“Excellent choice, miss,” the waiter said, writing it down and then looking eagerly at Kylo again.

Kylo’s order was long and complicated. He had an addendum to every piece of the recipe, he wanted to substitute this and lose that and needed this seared precisely so. Rey was impressed that the waiter was keeping up with his list of demands, nodding along as he made note of every little thing Kylo requested.

The waiter held out his hand to retrieve Kylo’s menu and Kylo set it on the table instead, already turning his attention away from the young man. Rey shot him an apologetic smile and scooped up both menu’s, handing them over. The waiter seemed completely unfazed by the interaction. Rey wasn’t sure if that made it right.

“Kylo, you know I can’t drink,” Rey finally protested.

“Don’t frown, Rey. Your face is too beautiful to look like that,” Kylo replied simply, bringing the glass to his lips. He pulled his phone out, scrolling at it absently.

Rey scoffed and deepened the expression. Kylo chuckled at that, an almost mocking tone to it.  

“Ever the defiant little thing, aren’t you?” Kylo commented in a gravelly tease. He looked up at her, a sexual smirk on his plump lips. “Except I know one way to make you obey.”

“Kylo!” Rey gasped, eyes wide as she looked around. He wasn’t being quiet, and she was positive at least one of the nearby spying couples heard him.

Kylo just chuckled again and took another generous slip, going back to looking at his phone.

“Try the wine, Rey. It’s delicious,” Kylo encouraged.

“I’m _underage_ , Kylo,” Rey hissed. Where was the sweet guy from last night who declined to drink even in her presence?

“You’re an adult, Rey. It’s time people treated you like that,” Kylo reasoned.

“You’re doing a sore job of it,” Rey argued. She reached for her water and drank that instead, hazel eyes still set in a glare.

Kylo’s demeanor relaxed and he chuckled, this time a more carefree sound. He set his phone down on the table, face down even as notifications lit it up.  

“I admire your strong will, Rey. It will get you far in the business,” Kylo said, an easy smirk on his face.

Rey felt herself relax. He was obviously messing with her. She wasn’t sure why she had let herself get so worried. No one was really like this.

Kylo made the subtlest of motions with his hand, barely lifting it from the table, and the waiter reappeared. He set about to refilling Kylo’s wine glass, waiting for more orders. Kylo raised his eyebrows at Rey.

“I would like a cherry coke, if that’s okay?” Rey asked.

“Of course, miss,” the waiter replied automatically. He still didn’t look at her, setting the bottle on the table and walking immediately away.

Rey heard a shutter sound and then Kylo’s low growl of displeasure.

“Can’t even start our meal before it begins,” Kylo said.

“What begins?” Rey asked.

Kylo nodded to something just over her shoulder and Rey glanced back. One of the spying couples was looking at their phones, held none-too-conspicuously at the edge of their table and pointed right at her. At least they had the decency to look embarrassed as they noticed Rey had caught at them.  

“That’s not the worst of it, of course. They’ll probably flub spelling my name or something, let autocorrect get the best of them, but they’ll still post it on their social media and be proud that they caught someone famous doing something mundane,” Kylo explained, sounding incredibly bored with the subject already. He flipped his phone over for a moment, swiping away the notifications before flipping it back down again.

“Do people really do that?” Rey gasped, looking over her shoulder again at the couple.

They weren’t even that much older than Kylo, probably in their mid-30’s. Was it really that fun to take secret pictures of a person and brag about it?

“Frequently,” Kylo shrugged.

“I didn’t realize that you were that well known,” Rey admitted shyly. She blushed and looked up at him with wide eyes, immediately trying to rectify her accidental slight. “I mean, obviously _I_ know that you are, but I’m a model. I guess I just didn’t realize that normal people cared very much for photographers. Not that they shouldn’t, of course. Your work is beautiful and deserves to be admired. Obviously. I mean, I’m just, surprised?”

Kylo just smirked at her, amusement dancing in his soft brown eyes.

“You’re cute, Rey. Did you know that?”

Rey was about to stammer a further protest, maybe try to apologize, when the waiter delivered her drink and appetizer along with Kylo’s salad. Rey couldn’t help but notice that it was only two types of greens, mixed in perfect symmetry, all bright and crisp looking. The accompanying vegetables were laid just so, almost as if they had been measured out. There was no cheese and the accompanying ramekin of dressing looking like it would only dress an eighth of the entire plate. She hoped her salad wouldn’t be so dismal. She liked dressing. And cheese.

The bruschetta was the best Rey had ever had. The bread was perfectly toasted, and the toppings were fresh and delicious. It was such a simple dish, but one she still loved.

“Do you want to try one? This is incredible!” Rey asked, holding one out for him.

Kylo smirked and accepted her offer, chewing it thoughtfully. He grimaced.

“It’s not fresh,” Kylo said.

“What are you talking about? This is the best I’ve ever had.” Rey looked down at the food, trying to figure out what his complaint was. “Are you sure you’re just not one of those people who don’t like cilantro?”

Kylo was already gesturing to the waiter, a scowl marring the beauty of his unique face. “How dare you serve something less than fresh to my date. Replace it, immediately.”

“Kylo! It’s fine!” Rey looked at the waiter, wishing she could reach out to him but knowing it was inappropriate. “I swear it’s fine.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Ren. I’ll be right back. I will make sure the kitchen staff is properly reprimanded,” the waiter said, taking Rey’s plate away without a glance at her.

“Wait!” Rey called out. She looked at Kylo, confused. “Kylo, it was _fine_.”

Rey didn’t miss the sound of two camera shutters this time, coming from different directions. She resisted the urge to look for the sources.

“It’s a simple dish that you’d think they could get right,” Kylo grumbled, turning back to his own meal.

“They did!” Rey insisted.

The look he gave her was near patronizing.

“It could have been better.” Kylo’s expression softened and he reached across the table for her hand. “Everything that you get should be perfect. And I’m not paying for less than perfection.” His thumb glided over her knuckles, the gesture soft and sweet.

“Kylo, that’s sweet but it’s unnecessary. I was fine with how it tasted. I don’t think I’ve ever had any better.” Rey sighed. “Thank you, but, please, ask me first. There is no need to make a scene. People…noticed.”

“Alright, Rey. I promise to consult you first,” Kylo agreed, almost too easily. “And people will notice no matter what we do.”

There was something in his tone that Rey couldn’t quite place. Something about it made her once more violently aware of the fact that they were seated in the middle of a very high-profile restaurant, surrounded by people who kept looking at them, even now that they were just speaking quietly to each other. She thought being famous meant that you wanted a private booth as far from other people as possible. If being bothered at dinner was as common an occurrence as he made it sound, why would he not take precautions to make sure he wasn’t bothered?

Unless he wanted the attention?

Rey mulled over that thought when their main dishes were delivered, Rey’s replacement bruschetta accompanying it. Kylo reached out to her plate and tasted the dish before she could, the waiter watching him on baited breath until Kylo finally approved it. Rey was pretty sure it tasted the exact same.

Kylo looked down at his own dish and beckoned the waiter to lean down closer to him. Rey had no idea what he said in the young man’s ear, and Rey had to wonder if he was an actor for how quickly he schooled his expression back to neutral even as several flashed across his face.

“Thank you, Mr. Ren,” the waiter finally said, giving what nearly amounted to a bow before he left.

“What did you do?” Rey asked.

Kylo gave her a tight-lipped smile before cutting into his steak. “It was just some friendly advice. How’s your salad?”

“Perfect,” Rey replied immediately. It was bland and boring, and she ached for his far-too-particular meal laden with fats and carbs and flavor. But there was no reason to put their waiter through the ringer any further because she had picked a boring dish, so she would scarf it down as though it were the best thing ever. She wondered if she could, however, ask for more dressing.

“Not too dry?” Kylo pressed. There was a knowing smirk at the corner of his mouth, as if he had heard her last thought.

“Nope!” Rey said brightly. She took a massive bite, almost completely devoid of dressing and any flavor at all. Still, she maintained eye contact as she chewed and swallowed, smiling at him. “Like I said, perfect.”

“Whatever you say, Rey.”

The rest of dinner passed by in near-uncomfortable silence. Rey felt hyper aware of people potentially watching them and it made her afraid to speak. Meanwhile, Kylo seemed just as content to simply eat and observe her, that smirk on his face all the while as though he here enjoying some sort of a secret. Rey felt compelled to eat slowly, not wanting to sit awkwardly unoccupied while he made his way through his elaborate meal.

“Would you care for some dessert, Mr. Ren?” the waiter asked, loading their empty plates into his hands.

Kylo smirked at Rey. “I would.” He handed over his black credit card. “That’s all.”

The waiter blinked, and Rey wasn’t sure which of the two of them were blushing harder. At least Kylo had had the decency to make this sexual comment more quietly than his last.

The waiter thanked Kylo again and hurried off to charge the card.

“We didn’t even see the bill. I don’t know how much I owe you?” Rey said, reaching for her purse.

“Maker, Rey, what type of terrible dates have you been on?” Kylo balked.

Rey blushed harder and pitched her voice into a near whisper. “None. I wasn’t kidding when I said I had never done any of this.” She shrugged. “I sort of thought that people were past the whole “guy pays” thing.”

“My mother would kill me if I allowed you to pay for your own meal when I invited you on a date,” Kylo said.

The waiter returned with the small black book and apologized once more for the mishap with Rey’s food and begged that Kylo visit them again.

“We’ll see,” Kylo said, not at all sincere. He signed the receipt and pocketed his card. “Let’s go, Rey.”

Kylo held her chair out for her and ushered her out of the restaurant, Rey catching the eye of several other patrons who were whispering as they passed. She didn’t like their attention, didn’t like the look in their eyes as they scrutinized her.

The car was waiting for them by the time they got outside. The valet waited only on Kylo’s side, allowing him to assist Rey into the car himself. While Rey had hated the attention of the nosey patrons in the restaurant, she was more annoyed by the lack of attention from the employees of the restaurant. No one looked at her and it grated her nerves. Did they think she was below them or something?

Rey would not allow herself to entertain the other alternative. Kylo may have been acting like a jerk for a little while, but he knew better than to treat her like property.

Right?

“This isn’t the way back to my apartment?” Rey pointed out as Kylo began to drive through the ever-busy streets of Coruscant.

“Oh. Did you want to go home?” Kylo asked, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

“I have go sees, remember? Our first appointment is really early,” Rey said. She chewed her lip. “Not that I don’t want to, um, spend more time with you. I just…I think it’s best if I get some sleep. Today was…draining.”

“Your conversations with your friends did not go well?” Kylo homed in on, his voice gentle.

“Luke was understanding, if a bit…uncomfortably knowledgeable,” Rey grumbled.

Kylo gave a little hiss of displeasure. “That is the negative of you working for my uncle. And the others?”

“The girls were more worried than anything. When they found out some…things about your reputation, they have reservations,” Rey admitted.

“And?” Kylo pressed. “Mr. Trooper?”

Rey winced. “Not the best.”

Kylo sighed, a sad and knowing sound.

“I’m sorry, Rey. Let me know if there is anything at all that I can do to help make it easier,” Kylo promised.

Kylo’s expression was so genuinely pained, Rey found herself forgetting his behavior at the beginning of dinner. And the middle. And whatever that moment was at the end. This man was kind and sweet and caring and empathetic. This was the man she had decided to lose her virginity to. This was the man she hoped to see again. She hoped her refusal to go back to his place tonight had not just ruined that.

“Thank you, Kylo. He’ll come around,” Rey said.

“I’ve got a photoshoot tomorrow, so I’ll be busy with that for the majority of my day. Afterwards I have a meeting with a designer to discuss the direction of the photoshoot I’ll be doing for them next week, but I should be free in the evening.” Kylo pulled up in front of Rey’s apartment, somehow still securing that primo parking space. “I’d like to see you again.”

“Can we—um—not go there again?” Rey asked. “Not that I didn’t like it or anything, the food was _great_ ,” she couldn’t resist putting extra emphasis on the word, “but I’m not quite used to that type of dining yet.”

“You’d like to go somewhere more intimate?” Kylo suggested, smirking at her.

Rey blushed. “Something like that.”

Kylo leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. It wasn’t full of passion or urgent. It was simple, just the meeting of lips. It melted Rey all the same.

“You could come up if you wanted to?” Rey found herself whispering as he pulled slowly away from her.

“Are your roommates home?” Kylo asked.

Sitting this close to each other, Rey could watch the way his pupils expanded. She groaned to realize that her offer was pointless.

“They—they are,” Rey answered regretfully. “But Jess won’t be home tomorrow night. And I think I could get Paige to leave if—if you want me to?”

“Or we could go back to my place and not displace Miss Tico,” Kylo reminded her.

Rey nodded. “Or that.”

“But for tonight?” Kylo asked.

“Probably not the best,” Rey mumbled.

Kylo gave her another kiss, his tongue sliding across her bottom lip. Rey opened her mouth to him and moaned as his tongue glided against hers. She brought her hands up to his face, gently caressing one cheek while her other hand slid back towards his hair. He kept his hands to himself, focusing all his attention on her mouth. When they finally parted again, Rey sighed. Why did she have to be responsible and prioritize doing well at her job when his lips promised a more immediate reward.

“Good night, Rey,” he said.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Rey agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 163 Kudos <3 You're all so sweet to me. And again, I'm so, so, sooooooo sorry for the delay!!! Maybe I'll post the next one a bit earlier to make up for my terribleness >.<


	4. Regular Routine

“So, you’re famous now,” Jessika said the moment Rey walked into the front door.

Rey unwound the scarf from around her neck, draping it on their coat rack, before bending down to remove her boots. She made sure to hang the small purse up in front of her usual one, hoping it would remind her to re-transfer her essentials into it before they left tomorrow morning. She withdrew her cellphone and made her way into the living room.

“What are you talking about?” Rey asked.

Rey plopped onto their couch, settling between Jessika and Paige.

“I dunno if you want to see this,” Jessika said, chewing on her lip.

“Shut up, Jess!” Paige hissed, reaching behind Rey’s back and swatting Jessika’s arm. She looked at Rey and attempted an easy smile. “How was your date?”

Rey looked between her friends, suspicion in her expression, but still answered the question.

“It was…fine,” Rey said.

“It didn’t look so fine,” Jessika huffed quietly.

“Jess!”  Paige shrieked.

“What is she talking about? What are you talking about?” Rey demanded, looking between her roommates.

“Nothing!”

“Something.”

“Guys!” Rey whined.

“Why was it just fine?” Paige soldiered on.

“It just was,” Rey said. “What is going on?”

“Was he not nice? I know he wasn’t always nice this weekend. It wouldn’t surprise me if he maybe sorta switched back?” Paige plied.

Rey narrowed her eyes at the girl. “I—I mean, yeah, a bit?” She sighed and sunk into the couch a bit more, words now flowing in a quick tumble from her lips. “He took me to a way too nice restaurant, which didn’t really surprise me since everything he owns is over the top. And I guess that would have been fine, but he was sort of rude to the staff and he kept trying to get to me drink and people were looking at us and he made them remake my food even though I thought it was perfectly fine.”

“Sounds right,” Jessika grumbled.

“Jessika Pava, I swear to all that is holy in the universe that I will text Poe every embarrassing picture I have of you if you do not shut your fucking mouth this instant,” Paige threatened through clenched teeth, her dark brown eyes flashing dangerously.

“Okay, seriously guys, what’s going on?” Rey turned to Jessika. “I thought you said you were okay about me seeing him. If it is bothering you this much, I—I promise I’ll stop. You’re more important to me.”

“Maker, Rey, no! That’s not what’s wrong at all. He may be sexy as hell, but I’ve already conceded to you and accepted my yummy consolation prize,” Jessika reassured her. Her eyes turned kind. “I’m sorry your date didn’t go well.”

“Wait, what? I wasn’t done. Yeah, all that stuff happened in the beginning, but he…I dunno. It just wasn’t _that_ bad,” Rey said. “I know I don’t really have anything to compare it to, but I’m excited to see him again tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Paige gasped.

“Yeah. He asked me out again tomorrow,” Rey expanded.

The girls both looked way more shocked than her story warranted.

“Color me surprised,” Jessika said.

“I’m getting really sick of “Rey-in-the-middle” here. What are you two skirting around?” Rey demanded.

Paige and Jessika both leaned forward, frowning at each other.

“She’s bound to see it eventually,” Jessika said.

Paige sighed and pulled out her phone, hanging it over it Rey. “Just…here.”

Two pictures were lit up on the screen. The first was of Kylo leading Rey into the restaurant, Rey looking up the restaurant while he glared in the direction of the valet’s. The second was of them sitting at the table, Kylo’s expression unimpressed as he looked at his phone while Rey looked indignant at him. Their food wasn’t on the table yet, so Rey was immediately able to pinpoint the moment. Rey scrolled up to look at the title just under the _Starkiller_ banner.

**Hot Fashion Photographer Misfires with Sub-Par Fresh Fashion Model?**

_Kylo Ren, sexy worldly fashion photographer known for taking stellar photos and dating stunning models, seems unimpressed with his current conquest, budding fashion model Rey Niima, last featured in a Pac Sun add that saw little traction. Did no one warn her that the company was heading down? Hopefully Kylo Ren hasn’t yet, as this one doesn’t seem particularly warm._

_Ladies, don’t lose hope yet. It doesn’t seem like Mr. Ren is keeping this one around for long. Sources pointed out that this is the third model Mr. Ren has been spotted wining and dining in this exact same restaurant in the last month alone. We hope Miss Niima at least got some good shots for her portfolio and Mr. Ren can move on to more pleasurable company._

_At least now people will know her name._

Rey nearly threw the phone away from her, cheeks aflame in a dual mood of anger and embarrassment.

“Okay, but, I _have_ to ask. Did he?” Jessika asked, eyebrows raised in wait.

“Jess!” Paige shrieked.

“It’s an honest, important question! It was her first time, he should be treating her right!” Jessika shot back in defense.

“Shall I just text Poe and ask if plans to eat _you_ out tomorrow? Jeez, Jess!” Paige scoffed.

Jessika shrugged. “So what if you did? I certainly wouldn’t complain.”

“There are more important things to discuss right now!” Rey cut in, throwing her arms wide and across both of her roommate’s bodies.

Paige and Jessika both looked at her sheepishly, properly chastised.

“I’d much rather focus on the fact that some creepers took photos of my date, sent them to this absolute garbage excuse for a tabloid website, and then proceeded to drag me through the mud!” Rey ranted. “Maker, they made it sound like I’m sleeping with him for the notoriety of it! Can you believe that?”

Paige was about to offer some reassurance when her phone started to go off. “It’s my sister.” She stood up and moved away from the couch before answering her phone.

“Hey Rose. What’s—huh? Oh, I know. Yeah. No, she saw. Yeah. Uh-huh. Well, no, I _said—_ What? Well _obviously_ I—no. Rose, honestly, do you really think I’d let her do that? No! Well, I mean, I guess, but—Rose, don’t you _dare_! Rose Tico, if you breathe one word of this to Finn, I swear I will tell _him_ that—yeah, that’s what I thought.” Paige sighed. “Thanks, Rose, I’ll pass that along. Alright. Love you, too.”

“Well that was dramatic,” Jessika snorted.

“Rose said she’s sorry that they wrote all of that stuff about you, but she was calling to echo what Poe told us last night.” Paige sat down in one of the arm chairs, angling herself towards Rey. She fussed with her phone for a minute before handing it back to Rey.

Rey looked down at the images. It was the rest of the article that had been written about her. She hadn’t even realized there had been any more, too embarrassed by the implications of it to look much further. But there, just after the pictures of her and Kylo, were three other sets of pictures. In them, Kylo was seated at what appeared to be the same table, wearing varying degrees of the same outfit, and sitting across from three beautiful models, two blondes and a redhead. In each of the photos he looked more enraptured with his dining partner, and he was even leaning across the table with one of the blondes. Rey recognized the girls from their print work. She did know their names. But this wasn’t why she wanted anyone to know hers.

Rey wiped away a tear she hadn’t realized had fallen.

“This is just stupid. Who cares who he dated before me? Why does that matter?” Rey handed Paige back her phone and headed towards the bathroom, ready to wash her face off and just be done for the night.

“Rey,” Paige called softly.

“No. This is moronic. It’s unnecessary discourse. People are just…they’re just bored, and this is how they want to fill their time. It doesn’t mean anything. The relationship Kylo had with any of those girls means absolutely nothing about ours.” She paused at the bathroom door, looking over her should at her friends. “Right?”

Paige nodded while Jessika looked the other way, clearly not comfortable committing to any sort of an answer.

Rey returned Paige’s nod before turning to the sink, grabbing for a jar of cold cream to remove her makeup and maintain her skin’s texture. After her face was clean, she brushed her teeth and took out her hair, settling it instead in dual braids so that it wouldn’t tangle in her sleep. When she went into the bedroom, she stripped off each article of clothing and set them in their appropriate hampers, not wanting anyone’s clothes to get mixed together (not that it really mattered). She finally dressed in her pajamas and crawled into her bed, plugging her phone in once she was settled.

She looked up the article, staring at the photos again. She looked at each model depicted, comparing every detail of them to every detail of her. She wondered what things Kylo preferred on them over her, noting that two of them had breasts that were on the larger side for a model, and she also wondered if he preferred blondes over brunettes. But then she had to reason that there was a reason he wasn’t with these girls anymore…or was he? They hadn’t really discussed what they were doing or what their intentions were with each other, simply that they enjoyed each other’s company (most of the time) and sleeping together. Rey knew that that didn’t automatically mean that they were exclusive, although she had to reason that he couldn’t possibly be seeing anyone else when he’d asked to see her two days in a row.

Rey huffed, rolling over as Jessika and Paige came in to get dressed for bed. She didn’t want to think about any of this before she went on her go sees. Stress created lines and lines did not belong on models faces.

The girls awoke before the crack of dawn, set about to their usual routines for the mornings. Jessika got to shower first, while Paige and Rey started on their breakfast of egg whites and uncured bacon, Rey slipping some wheat English muffins in their toaster oven. While breakfast finished off by Jess, who cut them up fruit and spooned out some Greek yogurt, Paige showered, Rey double checking that their portfolios were ready. Finally, Rey got to shower, Paige plating the food while Jess was in their bedroom picking out their outfits for the day.

The girls ate their breakfast together in their color-coded bathrobes, Rey cleaning up the plates while Jessika started her hair and Paige began her face. Once Rey was done cleaning, it was her turn to start her face while Paige did her hair, Jessika mapping out their itinerary while she waited her turn to do her face. Finally, Rey did her hair and Jessika did her face, while Paige made sure everyone had their metro passes and their phones were charged, water bottles and granola bars in each of their purses.

When the ladies left their apartment, they were a uniformed front: black tee-shirts, dark rinse skinny jeans, and black pumps on each other them, hair pulled back into single ponytails and faces done with the most minimal amount of make up each girl could pull off without exposing any imperfections. Even their undergarments were uniform: nude underwear with a nude strapless bra. It was their best chances for success and the models had been trained well.

“We’re off, Luke!” Paige called as they passed Luke’s office downstairs.

“Perfect. You ladies know where you’re all going?” Luke asked. He scratched old Artoo’s head as he looked up at his models, sparing a quick glance at his computer as an email announced his arrival. “Oh! Rey, Jess, I’ve added a stop for the two of you. Tiure wants to meet with you girls. Originally, they only asked to see Tallie but I just got the call this morning that they were interested in your two, as well.”   
Rey and Jessika both lit up at that. Tiure was a high-end swimsuit retailer, the types of beautiful swimsuits that were barely any fabric and yet the maximum price. It was an honor to be chosen as one of their swimsuit models and the girls were both immediately grateful that they had hit the gym yesterday. Rey was doubly grateful for her decision to groom extra hard the night before. Although thinking of their fellow model, Tallissan Lintra, being seen by the designer made her nervous. Tallie was beautiful, blonde haired and blue eyed. Rey had been positive she would have had her place in the House of Organa shoot had the model not already had a shoot of her own that weekend.   
“No worries, Paige-y. I’ve got a special one just for you, too. Moraga wanted to see you,” Luke added, noting the disappointed look on Paige’s face. He was glad to see her expression relax; Moraga was also swimwear, but it was a bit more conservative. While Paige never shied away from something sexual (he was very proud of her for that cosmetics ad), Moraga was more her personal style.

“Awesome. Thanks, Luke!” Jessika chirped happily, adding the new addendum to their list. The appointments were at the same time and in close by buildings, so they wouldn’t be separated from Paige for long.

“Make me proud, ladies!” Luke called out as the girls left.

They first went to the Coruscant Fashion District, almost every designer in one of a handful of buildings, which made their layered appointments easy. Rey first met with a casual clothing retailer for a print ad, Jessika was off to an outerwear designer for the same, while Paige met with a designer about a shoe runway show. As Rey finished checking in, she heard her phone go off. She blushed, embarrassed that she hadn’t turned it to silent, and grabbed it shut it off. Not before she saw the message, of course.

_Kylo Ren (6:57 AM)_

_You’ll be amazing today._

Rey’s heart fluttered and she smiled as she turned off her phones notification sounds. She would have to remember to text him back when she left this appointment.

She didn’t, of course. Rey had gotten held up by the designer asking to see her in several different looks, causing her to have to rush to her next appointment. And then the one after that, and the one after that. Only too soon, she had met up with her friends at the agreed upon cross street, everyone now needing to head out to the Crait to meet with some other designers who thought they were “too cool” for the official Fashion District. The subway was blissfully on time and they made their next round of appointments easily, rushing from converted factory to converted fire stations, a hole in the wall that was once simply an apartment hallway the weirdest of them all. One their way to Chandrila to see two other designers, they snacked on their granola bars and discussed the feedback they’d received.

Jessika was confident she’d landed a runway show for a handbag designer, a print ad for a shoe designer, and two print ads for clothing retailers. Paige had had two commercials and had gotten great feedback for both, and she felt like she’d really sold herself to the clothing retailers she’d seen. Rey didn’t like to assume that she had landed anything, but she’d had a few nice conversations with most of the designers and she hoped that was enough.

On their way back from Chandrila for the swimsuit clients, none of them felt very confident. One of the designers had an interesting vision for his show and wanted them to wear hats that caused them to have no visibility, and not even the usually-composed Paige could get herself through that walk. Still, they were all positive that they had at least made a good impression on the designer and left feeling not completely defeated. The second designer was a bit more traditional and they all felt a bit ambivalent to their performances, perhaps thrown off unusual their last was.

Jessika and Rey bid Paige a quick bit of luck before they departed to their separate buildings, Paige heading off to one to a smaller building while Jessika and Rey headed into a high rise. Rey’s appointment was first and she did her best to project an easiness to work with and an air of sexuality needed to sell swimwear.

“Miss Niima, correct?” the man asked when Rey entered. He was a portly man, thick of body, with very little hair on his head. However, at his side were two beautiful assistants, and Rey had to wonder what role these two had in designing the swimwear.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hutt,” Rey said, giving the man’s hand a firm shake. She thought she saw him leer at her when she bent over the table to grip his hand, but she banished that thought. The assistants didn’t seem phased so she was just imagining things.

“Please, sit. Let’s take a look at your book,” Mr. Hutt said, gesturing to the seat across from him at the table.

Rey slid the black portfolio across the table to him, sitting down in the chair and waiting patiently.

The assistants made a few comments in his ear as they flipped through her pages, Mr. Hutt making low noises in response. Rey was beginning to get nervous, unsure of how he was feeling about her. She tried not to let her eyes dart around the room, knowing it was rude to be looking elsewhere even if he wasn’t looking right at her. Finally, he closed her book and sighed.

“Miss Niima, have you seen one of my ads before?” Mr. Hutt asked, threading his meaty fingers together beneath one of his chins.

Rey nodded. Kylo had shot one, once. “Yes, Mr. Hutt.”

“I see. So, you know what kind of a girl I usually hire, then?” Mr. Hutt asked.

“I’ve—I’m familiar with the models you’ve used in the past, yes,” Rey replied. Buxom, beautiful women with glorious curves and long, silken hair, like Tallie. She wasn’t entirely sure why Luke had sent her on this go see in the first place and now she was truly doubting herself.

“Can you understand my hesitation to allow you to waste my time further?” Mr. Hutt asked, raising an eyebrow. He gestured to her book. “You’re a beautiful young woman, make no mistake, but my girls need to be more than beautiful. They need to have sex appeal and you, my dear, do not seem to possess that. I’ve seen sexier books for 16-year-olds.”

“I can do sexy,” Rey said before she could stop herself. Fuck, she shouldn’t speak out like that. Slightly creepy or not, he was still an important designer and she did not want to burn this bridge for herself or Luke.

“Oh?” Mr. Hutt asked, leaning back into his chair with an amused sort of grin on his face. “Can you now?”

“I just finished shooting this weekend for House of Organa, where I was shot by Kylo Ren,” Rey defended. She hoped that the two big names and their usual reputations would provide enough proof.

“You? You were chosen by Leia Organa to be shot in her collection, and _you_ were shot by Kylo Ren?” Mr. Hutt’s voice was nothing but sarcastic, as if he didn’t believe her at all.

“Yes, I did. And I was chosen by Ms. Organa and Mr. Ren themselves to be the featured model of the shoot,” Rey said, sitting up straighter.

Mr. Hutt smirked. “And how did you _find_ Mr. Ren, Miss Niima?”

“He’s a brilliant photographer who likes to work in a particular way. His style takes a moment to adjust to, but his results are brilliant,” Rey replied immediately, knowing her answer was truthful and telling.

Mr. Hutt made a quiet humming sound, almost like a growl. He looked at one assistant and then the other, who both nodded.

“Twi, take Miss Niima and have her try on the gold piece,” Mr. Hutt finally decided. “Let’s see if she has the sex appeal to sell my most famous piece.”

Rey finally exhaled as she left Mr. Hutt’s office. That had been an…interesting go see, for sure, but strangely, she think he liked her? He had continued to be a bit leery for a lot of their meeting, but the two assistants were always at his side and so she never felt like she was in danger of being preyed upon. Besides, he was an older man designing barley-there swimwear for women, so it made sense that he would be a bit…different than what she was used to. His assistants at least seemed to like her a lot, coming alive with smiles and encouragement when Rey gave a runway walk in the golden bikini, pleased with her posing for her polaroid’s.

Rey didn’t have time to shoot Jessika a warning about the possible creep-factor, as they were already ushering her in as Rey was led out. They were at least able to smile at each other, Rey hoping that hers was at least reassuring enough.

Rey settled at a seat in the waiting area, avoiding looking at the other waiting models. She didn’t want to get caught up comparing herself to other models…again. Instead, she opened her phone and was immediately caught up in the guilty realization that she had never texted back Kylo.

_I’m so sorry, my day was hectic._

She watched as his speech bubble popped up with an ellipse, appearing and reappearing several times. He seemed to be putting a lot of thought into his response, which was why she was surprised to only receive:

_How did you do?_

_Fine, I think. I dunno, you can’t always tell._

_Anyone who doesn’t hire you is insane._

Rey smiled at that. Dinner was clearly just a fluke, and that article had been stupid. Those were all probably just business meetings with the other models, they clearly meant nothing more than business to Kylo. A person this sweet and considerate didn’t just “wine and dine” a handful of women all in one month. He wouldn’t have the time!

_I think one might._

_Who?_

_You’ve worked with them before. Tiure?_

Rey watched as his speech bubble brought up those three little dots over and over again. Was he just trying to remember the shoot he had done? She could send him a picture when she got home; it was only of the only ones to depict a model he hadn’t supposedly been involved with.

Finally, his response came through.

_No._

Rey blinked down at her phone, brow furrowed.

_No, you don’t remember, or no…just no?_

_You’re not working with him._

This bristled Rey’s nerves immediately.

_Oh? And why not?_

_Because I said so, Rey. Take my advice on this. I refuse to let you work for that man._

Rey glared at her phone. How dare he!

_You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Kylo! I’m not_

Rey erased the last two words and sent the first sentence alone. She didn’t know how was she meant to conclude that sentence. She wasn’t what? His girlfriend? His wife? His property? They all felt like they were true yet none of them were.

_Rey, listen to me! I know what I’m talking about!_

And then, a moment later:

_Please. Don’t do anything with him. I’ll explain it at dinner tonight, okay?_

Rey looked at the second message, glaring at her phone still. He didn’t get to tell her what to do, however, he seemed a bit desperate. She figured she might as well hear him out.

_Fine. What time?_

_I’m finishing up here soon. I’ll come pick you up in about an hour?_

_Alright._

They passed Tallie on their way out, who was looking bright and beautiful as always. She had lived with them originally, in the bunk above Paige’s, but once her modeling star rose, she was able to move out of the apartments and into her own. She and Jessika had always been close, as they had been signed at the same time. Jess had been a bit disappointed as Tallie surpassed her, but Luke had always encouraged harmony amongst his models and Jess did her best to be supportive rather than jealous.

“How did it go?” Tallie asked brightly. She was dressed the same as they were, her black portfolio tucked under her arm and a fashionable mini backpack on her back to hold her other essentials.

“Great!” Jessika said, pulling Tallie in for a hug. “How did yours go today?”

“Eh, alright I guess. I’m a bit exhausted after my weekend of shooting. How did the House of Organa shoot go? I about cried when I heard that Kylo Ren would be shooting!” Tallie gushed.

“Oh, it went _really_ well. Didn’t it, Rey?” Jessika asked, elbowing Rey at her side playfully.

“Jess!” Rey hissed.

Tallie looked between the two, confused. “Okay, what’s going on? Did someone rip a dress or something?”

“Oh, Rey sure did rip _something,_ ” Jessika sang.

“ _Maker_ , Jess! That’s disgusting!” Rey snapped, shoving the girl.

“Hey Tallie! Look at you, bright as the sun out here! How was your shoot in LA?” Paige asked, running over to meet them.

Tallie hugged Paige, laughing. “It went great, but apparently not as great as your weekend went? Do you know what Jess is alluding to here?”

Paige took one look at Rey’s cross expression paired with Jessika’s one of smug triumph and she could only roll her eyes.

“Just…you can look it up online,” Paige groaned. “Don’t let us make you late for your appointment, Tallie. Go get ‘em!”

“Oh, right! Thanks! Maybe we can get together for lunch later this week. See you guys!” Tallie said, rushing into the building.

“Really, Jess? Why not just skywrite “Rey lost her virginity to Kylo Ren” and save us all some time,” Rey scoffed at her friend.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I’m just, like, really proud of you! Aw, don’t be mad at me!” Jessika pled, throwing her arms around her friend. “C’mon, let’s hurry home. We have dates to get ready for.”

“I’m tagging along with you, Jess. Rose wants me to come over,” Paige said as they headed towards the subway.

Rey perked up at that, thinking of her conversation with Kylo last night in the car about where they would go after tonight. She nibbled the inside of her cheek, debating whether or not to text him and make the offer.

“Oh! I forgot to say that I saw Finn earlier,” Paige was saying as they waited for the train.

Finn. Who lived next door. And was heartbroken. So maybe it was best not to invite Kylo over, where only a wall would separate her best friend from her…Kylo.

“Which one?” Jessika asked. “I didn’t think Luke was sending them out on too many today.”

The guys usually traveled to their go sees together, as most designers didn’t want to see men and women on the same day. It was easier for them to compartmentalize what they were looking for when they were just seeing men and just seeing women all in one day.  

“The fast food commercial. He wasn’t in my segment with me, but I saw him checking in as I left. I don’t think he noticed me, though. I’ll have to remember to ask him how that went later,” Paige replied. “How did the skin care one go, Rey?”

Rey grimaced. “You know how I feel about commercials.”

“But your skin is beautiful,” Jessika pointed out.

Rey reached her hand up to graze at a little scar on her right cheek, the remnant of foster days gone rough. She couldn’t even remember how she had gotten it, but it had been a source of insecurity for her for a long time. She didn’t want anyone not hiring her simply because of a stupid moment from childhood that hadn’t even made enough of an impression on her to remember.

“We’ll see,” Rey shrugged. “So, where are you and Poe going?”

Jessika shrugged. “I’d suggested the club, but he said that he was “too old” to be seen at a club on a Tuesday night.” She rolled her eyes at that statement. “He’s yummy, not old.”

“Jess, please, _please_ don’t call him “Daddy” in bed. _Especially_ if I’m still there,” Paige said, glaring daggers into her friend.

Jessika shrugged. “I can’t make any promises, babe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe we are only 4 chapters in and we already have 196 kudos!! I love you all! I'm sorry I'm behind on comment replies, I've been busy with work and projects (yes, plural...;) ) with Poaxath! I'll get to them soon, I promise <3  
> Please let me know what you thought of this chapter.


	5. Try Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo try this dating thing again.

Rey decided to leave her hair and makeup the same, the only difference in darkening up her lipstick. Mindful of the changing weather, she dressed herself in a flouncy, long sleeved tunic in shades of brown and maroon with splashes of fern here and there, brown leggings underneath and cognac suede calf-high heeled boots. She accessories with some smaller chandelier earrings, just barely any dangle, and a maroon velvet choker. She grabbed Paige’s maroon leather moto jacket, lightweight enough to provide warmth without being too cumbersome should she decide to hold it instead.

Jessika, however, spared no amount of extra. She wore a tight black bodycon bandage dress, the sweetheart neckline emphasizing her pushed-up breasts that the thick straps did all they could to keep them held up and secure. She wore a pair of polka dot tights underneath, the dark dots drawing the eye along her shapely legs, and a pair of black almond toe platform heels. She didn't bother with any accessories, slyly remarking that they just got in the way.

Paige, meanwhile, settled into her most comfortable pair of boyfriend jeans and a loose t-shirt, throwing on her khaki zip up over it. It was a night in with her sister, she didn't need to look special for that.

When Kylo messaged to inform her that he was there, Rey kissed her friends goodbye and headed downstairs. She felt just as nervous, thinking of last night, of that article, of their texting conversation earlier in day. Was she making a mistake? As the elevator announced the arrival to the ground floor, she shook her head. No, this wasn't a mistake. She _liked_ Kylo. He was just...rough around the edges. It wasn't like she didn't know that going into it.

“Hi,” Rey greeted when she saw him. What, did he pay someone to make sure that space was always available for him? Well, she supposed that would be too unusual. Not for Kylo Ren.

“Hey,” Kylo returned. He gave her a half-cocked smile, reaching out for her the moment she was within range. He held her by her hips, his large hands making her feel so small in comparison. He searched her eyes for a moment, seeming to wait for permission.

“Hi,” Rey repeated quietly. Her heart was fluttering, all other thoughts falling out of her head as she stared up into his intense gaze. It reminded her of standing before him while he photographed her, of the way he seemed to be able to look into her very soul.

Kylo dipped down, kissing her softly. It was a gentle kiss, a meeting of lips with only the gentle coaxing to pry them apart, not rushed or hurried. But for some reason, it still left Rey feeling dizzy.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered against her lips as they parted.

“Thank you,” she replied, too scared to raise her voice any louder and ruin the spell he had them under. “You look good, too.”

Kylo was dressed in a wine red sweater and a dark rinse jean, the color almost close enough to look like they had dressed to compliment each other on purpose. It made Rey feel slightly better about their future, made her think that at least on some level, they were on the same wavelength. At least in this small way, they were compatible.

Kylo smiled down at her and gently guided her into his car, waiting patiently for her to get situated before he closed the door for her. Once she was settled, he moved around to his side and then they were off.

“So, where to?” Rey asked.

“I thought we could go get a quick bite before we went back to my place?” Kylo offered.

That sounded more low key than last night had been, so it pleased her to know that he had taken her note and actually _listened_ to her.

“That sounds fantastic,”  Rey agreed.

Kylo shot her a quick smile and they drove down the streets of Coruscant in amiable silence. He seemed to have a penchant for acoustic music, which Rey enjoyed. It helped to calm her nerves and her ridiculous libido. When they arrived at the restaurant, the valet waited patiently for Kylo to help Rey out, although this time Rey was happy to see that there were only 2 valet’s and no doormen. Definitely less expensive than last night had been, although still not quite in the price range of Rey’s usual evenings.

The restaurant was darker, the tables all lit by an individual little lamp and the bar lit in a mix of purple and soft yellow lights. Rey felt soothed by it; no one would be able to take very sellable pictures in here. Even if their phones were set to take photos in low light, there would still be a flash that would gave them away. She felt guilty for ever thinking that Kylo had orchestrated the restaurant last night simply for the press coverage.

They were escorted to a table near the bar, where the bartender immediately broke away from his other patrons and brought Kylo a red wine.

“Does everyone know you everywhere?” Rey snorted, unable to help herself.

Kylo smirked at her. “Anywhere worth going and anyone worth knowing. My mother taught me that.” He looked up at the bartender, gesturing for Rey to order.

“Sprite. Or 7Up. Whichever. Just as long as it isn’t Sierra Mist. Mixed with grenadine, if you can, please?” Rey ordered. She didn’t care what anyone said, the soda just simply wasn’t on the same level as the other two.  

The bartender hesitated and Kylo rolled his eyes, reaching into his wallet to pull out a $50. “Have someone to get her what she wants. Keep the change.”

The bartender thanked him, throwing Rey a quick apology, and ran off. Not even a minute later, Rey saw a busboy rushing out of the restaurant, throwing his coat on as he tried to hasten in his task.

“That wasn’t necessary, Kylo,” Rey chastised, although far less seriously than she had about the bruschetta. This seemed less cruel, and, even split between the two, there was a nice tip to be had. It was still a little entitled, but at least it wasn’t as mean as making a waiter feel like crap.

“You deserve it, Rey,” Kylo replied simply, taking a sip of his wine. He picked up the menu. “Including whatever you want on here. I know I said a quick bite to eat, but that’s because I’m eager for what we could be doing after.”

Rey blushed and felt that pulse between her legs again. Damnit, she had just calmed down, too!

“No, I’m fine with a quick bite,” she blurted out in response.

Kylo smiled, this one far more sweet and sincere. “Are you still sore at all? I should have given you an Epson salt bath. I’m sorry for not taking better care.” He frowned at his own perceived carelessness.

“What? No! None at all!” Rey insisted. Her work out with the girls had been a bit of a reminder, but she’d been so distracted waiting for him to text her that she couldn’t get to the point of discomfort. “And you took _amazing_ care of me, Kylo. I never knew that it could be like that. Any of it.”

“I meant what I said, Rey. You deserve it,” Kylo replied, his amber eyes so liquid soft.

Rey rubbed her thighs together, almost embarrassed at how turned on she was.

“Thanks,” Rey said. The bartender brought over her Shirley Temple and she thanked him as well, glad for the temporary break in their sexual tension.

Too excited to eat too much, Rey only ordered some potato skins, while Kylo ordered a shrimp appetizer. Their food was delivered quickly and Rey nearly inhaled hers, Kylo smiling fondly at her all the while. She thought about those other models, about the ones in the article and the ones on her walls. He wouldn’t took at _them_ like this, would he? He seemed to have some level of affection for her that went beyond purely sexual

But she decided to wait. She didn't want to risk having another lowkey fight in a public place. While no one here seemed to be taking photos of them (that she could hear, at least) the last time had been warning enough.

This time when the check came, Rey already had money at the ready. When Kylo’s lifted an eyebrow at her, she gave him a cheeky smile.

“It’s only fair. You paid last night,” Rey insisted.

A look passed over Kylo’s face, something akin to surprise and...happiness, she thought, and he nodded for the waiter to accept her payment.

“That is fair,” Kylo conceded. There was a soft glimmer in his eyes as he added, “I’ve never met a girl like you.”

Rey blushed at that. Did he mean that, or had he said that to the others, too? But that look in his eyes, it was so hard to fake, right? Even when she was modeling she couldn’t be that sincere, that raw. Surely it meant something good.

“I've never met anyone like you either, Kylo,” Rey replied.

Kylo gave a soft chuckle at that. “I believe that. It’s not often you meet a 6’2" photographer who goes around taking short little models on dates.” His eyes sparkled with mischief and jest, a handsome smirk on his face.

Rey rolled her eyes. “For the average female, I'm at the top end of the spectrum! It’s not my fault that you were clearly pumped full of growth hormones at a young age.”

“They just wanted me prepared for the real world, where there are things on high up shelves to be reached,” Kylo said.

“Well, you’re really missing out on all the cool stuff on the ground, then,” Rey snarked right back.

The waiter dropped off her card and she gave him another large tip, writing a little note about her thanks for him acquiescing her drink request before signing it with a heart. She took Kylo’s hand and they walked to the valet stand, waiting in the crisp, early autumn evening.

Kylo nuzzled his forehead into the top of her hair, whispering softly to her as the car was pulled around. “I cannot _wait_ to get you back to my place. I missed you so much.”

Rey felt heat shoot through her at that and she was bright red as she stammered her thanks to the valet.

Kylo’s apartment wasn't far, but that didn’t stop Rey from having ample time to begin overthinking...everything. He was so tender with her now, so loving, but last night he had been a bit of a jerk and the article and then their texting today...who was this guy?

Kylo held her door for her and gently guided her into the elevator with a hand on her back, his thumb gently rubbing across her spine. It was incredibly soothing and Rey felt herself relaxing at it, even as her heart sped up at the idea of being in Kylo’s apartment again...the place where she’d lost her virginity.

He took her jacket and hung it in the closet by the front door, his movement so calm and fluid despite how nervous she was feeling. He then knelt on the ground and assisted her in removing her boots, gently massaging each calf before he gave the arch of her foot a quick rub, smirking up at her when he felt her shudder with pleasure. He leaned forward to press a kiss to each of her knees, his hands sliding up her legs slowly, reverently taking in every inch of her. As his lips traveled up higher, Rey began to pant lightly, her hands traveling into his luxe hair as her eyes fluttered shut. When he pressed a kiss to her mound, inhaling her scent through her clothing, she moaned loudly and felt her knees threaten to give out. Luckily, he seemed to sense this and he stood up in one swift movement, sweeping her into his arms in the next and carrying her into the living room in a few quick strides.

Kylo laid her out on his couch, his dark eyes even darker as he took a moment to survey her body. A pleased smirk graced his lips as he trailed his eyes over her body, taking in the heavy of her chest, the way she was pressing her thighs together, and the lusty look in her own eyes. Finally, he brought himself down upon her, his couch blessedly deep enough that he could straddle her tiny body with ease. He wasted no time in capturing her lips in a searing kiss, devouring her mouth slowly and swallowing her moans greedily. He pressed eager kisses to her jaw and down her neck, his hands getting to work on pulling her top off. Once she was divested of the flowy fabric, he moved his lips down her chest, nipping at the edges of her bra, teeth grazing over her ribs as he moved further down.

“Maker,” Rey gasped, eyes rolling to the back of her head in pleasure as he assaulted her senses with his attentions.

But she had wanted to talk to him about something? What was it? What had seemed so important before?

“Oh!” She called out sharply as one hand dipped below her leggings, strong fingers sliding beneath her panties and into her silken wetness. She bucked against his hand, whimpering into the darkness.

There had been something. Wasn’t it more than one something? Hadn’t she wanted to have a _lengthy_ conversation with him? What was so important that--that--

“Kylo,” she groaned out as he began to slide her leggings down for easier access.

“Hmm?” he hummed in response.

Rey cried out louder as his tongue dipped into her navel, a promise of what was to come.

_Focus, Rey!_

“Kylo--we need to--to talk,” Rey managed to get out.

Kylo removed his lips from her skin, propping his chin onto her stomach, so dangerously close to where her body screamed for it to go. “What did you want to talk about, Rey?” He asked, voice husky and deep.

Rey had to fight down another shiver as the simple timber of his voice to get her head back to rights.

“A--a lot,” Rey said.

Kylo gave a small sigh but complied nevertheless, sitting up so he could slide her leggings back into place. He pressed another quick kiss on her lower abdomen, which would have been perfectly fine, if he didn’t then suck on the finger that had been inside of her. Rey made a point of sitting up and looking away from him, not trusting herself to look at him any longer. He was being sweet and respectful, he wasn’t pushing her in the slightest, but fuck if she didn’t want to just shag him instead.

“Kylo, when I got home last night, I saw--something,” Rey began.

“Go on,” Kylo encouraged simply, his tone still a bit deep but otherwise neutral.

“It was an...well, it was an article,” Rey said softly.

There was silence for a moment and Rey had to look at him to see what sort of reaction he was having. His expression was cross and tired, a grimace on his mouth and a weariness in his eyes.

“Which one?” Kylo finally asked.

“You mean there could have been more than one?” Rey gasped.  

Kylo ran a hand through his hair, his next sigh heavier. “I’m sorry, Rey. It’s the unfortunate side effect of being around me. I know I said I wanted to help your career, but this was never what I imagined. I don’t want tabloids dragging your name through the mud like they have mine for all of my life. I would have given anything to protect you from that.” He then shook his head, grimacing. “I took you there because I wanted to impress you. It’s where I bring potential clients usually, show them a lot of grandeur so they’ll realize my intentions are serious.”

“Wait, clients? Not girlfriends?” She jumped in, eyes wide as she waited.

“Rey, what did that article say, exactly?” He asked patiently.

She got up and grabbed her phone, knowing it would just be easier to show him. She curled onto the couch as she waited for him to read it, nervously chewing her lip as she watched his expressions change. When he was all done, he handed her phone back over, his expression one of thinly-veiled anger.

“They were almost right,” Kylo conceded after a moment. “I dated one of those girls, just one, but it was brief and it was years ago. Whoever posted that clearly didn’t do their research well, because that was also well documented. But what you see in those photos is me trying to woo _clients_ , not lovers. But the tabloids seem bent on selling me as this over-sexed romancer, so I have to prove to my clients that I am serious by taking them someplace that is well known in the business for conducting such meetings. But now they’ve gone and bastardized that, too.”

“But the way you were acting…” Rey trailed off, hoping he’d understand enough.

“I got nervous. I was only joking about the wine stuff, but when I saw your reaction I was worried I’d gone too far and then I sort of panicked and began overreacting. Plus, I hate to admit this, but it’s best you know now that I’m the jealous type. I know what goes on in a guy’s brain and I saw how all of those guys were looking at you. You’re gorgeous, Rey. I only just got you, I’d hate to lose you,” Kylo explained, his eyes sincere.  

“Is that why you’re against that contract?” Rey asked. She couldn’t get distracted any longer by his sweet declarations, they needed to discuss everything if she was to continue this relationship.

“No, that’s a completely separate issue altogether,” Kylo insisted. “But I’d rather not get too in depth with it. Just know that that guy is deplorable and I’d feel better if I knew that you stayed as far away from him as possible. I’m honestly shocked that Luke is getting you meet with Mr. Hutt at all, he knows the whole history of it.”

“But Kylo, if I got that contract, it would be big money. It’s a huge campaign,” Rey said.

“I can’t control you, Rey, but I can try to push you in the right direction and I don’t think that’s it for you,” Kylo said gently.

“Kind of like how you can’t control what other people think when they see me?” Rey challenged. “I appreciate that you tried to impress me, and it’s a bit of a relief to hear that you acted like how you had the rest of the evening because you were nervous, but Kylo, you can’t go around glaring at every man who looks at me. I’m a model, for starters, so people are _going_ to look at me. And I need to make money and keep my face out there, so if modeling for some skeeze who runs a high-fashion line is the way to do it, I can protect myself and get the job done. Luke would never send us anywhere he thought was unsafe.”

“Luke is an idiot sometimes, Rey. He might just be seeing the dollar signs he’ll make off of you, _not_ your safety. The old man is getting delusional in his old age if he thinks you’re safe with Hutt,” Kylo said. He growled lowly, running his long fingers through his hair again. “He assaulted my mother back in the day, when she was young, in college still. He should be in _jail_ , not enjoying success like he has. But my family cut a deal with his so it went away. That’s the beauty of coming from politically charged families; they’d rather make a deal under the table then publicly prosecute.”

“But that was...that was years ago, right? And Luke would never…” Rey trailed off, brow furrowing. She glanced down and saw her shirt on the floor. She was feeling uncomfortable suddenly so she slid it back on, avoiding Kylo’s gaze all the while.

Kylo sighed heavily, reaching out to gently caress her shoulder, sliding his fingers along her neck. “It was a long time ago, and from what I’ve heard, his assistants keep him in tight line with the harassment. But I just don’t want you mixed up in that.”

Rey shrugged. His touch was relaxing but she still felt an unease in her belly. “Well, it’s not like he’d come on to me, anyway. He said I wasn’t sexy.”

“That’s the best way of luring in someone you think _is_ ,” Kylo snorted. He stilled his hand on her neck, gently cupping it. “If you do get selected, promise me you’ll be safe.”

Rey offered him a smile, small but sure. “I promise.”

Kylo leaned forward and gave her a soft, lingering kiss, his thumb gently brushing along her jaw. But he went no further, seeming to sense that the mood had shifted too far. “Did you want me to take you home now or…?”

“I don’t have anything to do tomorrow morning. I’d be happy to watch a movie?” Rey offered. She was disappointed that the time for more fun activities had passed, but the unease in her stomach was still present. Kylo’s words loomed heavily on her, so she was glad that he wasn’t trying to pressure her.

She could trust his warnings, right? Although he had said he was a jealous man (and some part inside of her warmed at that thought) he wouldn’t intentionally try to talk her out of a contract because of it. She was sure of that. He just seemed to care about her, a lot. And she cared about him. So this would be okay. Things would be okay.

They cuddled on the couch and watched one movie, an exciting film about an archeologist, only kissing every once in a while. She felt the tension leave her body, so soothed by his presence, and when it was over, she felt tired and heavy.

“Let’s get you home, sweetheart,” Kylo chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to her head.

Rey slept the entirety of the drive home, leaving Kylo to make the decision to simply carry her into the apartment. When he knocked softly on the door, the tired Paige who answered it quickly turned into a shocked one.

“Mr. Ren!” Paige gasped. “Oh my god, is Rey okay?”

Kylo smiled down at her. “Hello, Miss Tico. She’s fine, just asleep. I hated the thought of waking her up. Do you mind if I lay her down in her bed?”

“No! No! Come on in,” Paige said, stepping back to allow him entry. She looked nervously around the apartment, hoping nothing was amiss. “Right through here,” she said, gesturing to their bedroom. She thanked the heavens above that Jessika was still with Poe. She’d left once things began to get…uncomfortably loud. “She’s the bottom bunk.”

Kylo knelt carefully down on the ground to slide Rey into her bed. He smirked to see that she really did admire him, noting how many of his photographs were on her wall compared to those of other photographers.

“We should probably get her out of those clothes,” Paige said, standing at the door and hovering like a protective mother. Kylo seemed so sweet and tender with Rey, but she had to be sure. Especially after seeing that article, she needed to see for herself.

“I’ll allow you to do that, Miss Tico. I’m sure she’s more comfortable with you doing that than myself,” Kylo said. He leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead, gently smoothing some of her hair back. Pressing one last kiss to her cheek, he rose and nodded to Paige as he passed. “Have a good evening, Miss Tico. Let Rey know I’ll be in touch in the morning.”

“Good night, Mr. Ren,” Paige said, watching as he left the apartment. Once he was gone, she finally let out a quiet squeal of delight. “Oh. My. God. That was the most precious thing I’ve ever seen. I _have_ to call Rose!” she whispered excitedly to herself. She’d change Rey later. For now, she had to gossip with her sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I'm so sorry for the wait. Projects with Poaxath, my birthday this past Wednesday, and work all delayed this chapter. That being said, I am going to commit to only updating on Monday's from now on. I wasn't able to write as much of this ahead of time as I was with Click, Boom, although we are fully outlined so it's just a matter of finding time. I will humbly ask your forgiveness and patience. I love you all <3


	6. Returning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gets a job offer and she returns to Kylo's apartment for something left behind. There are a few important phone calls to be made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends!!! I hope you enjoy this chapter <3

Paige was besides herself with excitement when Rey woke up the next morning, practically singing as she explained how it was that Rey came home. She at least had the decency to wait until Jessika proudly came home, smiling a dreamy smile from her evening out.

“He _carried_ me?” Rey echoed, eyes wide.

“ _And_ he tucked you in! It was the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen. Maker, Rey, the absolute tenderness in his eyes when he was looking at you… ” Paige shivered, a silly smile on her face. “Girl, it’s heavenly!”

“Yeah, well, _I_ actually got laid last night,” Jessika interjected, teasing in her tone.

“I know. I heard it as I left and then again when I called Rose to tell her about Rey and Ren. Did you do the ‘Daddy’ thing _just_ to mess with me?” Paige said, shooting the other girl a playful glare.

Jessika giggled and fell back onto Rey’s bed, tugging her arm down so she could get at her ear. “He went _wild_ for that shit. It was so fucking hot. Best lay I’ve had in...well, maybe forever.”

“That’s amazing, Jess! Although I hate to admit it, but I sort of thought he was gay?” Rey admitted with a sheepish smile.

“Bi, I think. Maybe pan. He doesn't see the need for labels, he just likes being with pretty things and he thinks _I’m_ the prettiest,” Jessika enthused.

“Yes, you are,” Paige said. “Now onto Rey’s _actual_ relationship.”

“Hey! We _could_ be in a real relationship!  If I wanted to. Or he wanted to. We just aren't bothering with labels! We are going to keep it strictly causal and just fuck like every other day or whatever,” Jessika argued.

“I don't know if I'm in one either. We’ve just been on two dates. We’ve hardly known each other for a week,” Rey said, sitting back up and shrugging.

“Oh, he wants one,” Paige insisted.

“I still can't believe you didn't take video for me,” Jessika huffed. “I think I would die if I saw the soft side of Kylo Ren.”

“I'm pretty sure that after what happened the other night, he doesn't appreciate random videos being taken of him,” Paige said.

“Probably not,” Jessika agreed with a quick, solemn nod. She then looked up at Rey and smiled wickedly. “So when are you two going out again? When are you two _doing it_ again?”

“Maker, Jess,” Paige scoffed. “Do you literally think of nothing else?”

“Shove it, Tico,” Jessika said, sticking her tongue out maturely. She then raised an expectant eyebrow at Rey.

“I'm not sure, to either question. I was out cold last night, I have no idea when he wants to see me again,” Rey said.

“Did you check your phone yet?” Paige asked.  

Rey shook her head and went to reach for it, only to furrow her brow when she realized it wasn't on her nightstand. “Did you not plug it in for me last night?”

“Oh. I didn't even see it,” Paige said. She frowned as well and looked around the floor, as if it would suddenly leap out and bite them.

“Did you leave it at Kylo’s?” Jessika asked.

Rey groaned. “Possibly. Great. Now what?”

“What a perfect opportunity to see each other again so soon!” Jessika chirped happily.  

“To be fair, he’s the one who left it behind,” Paige pointed out thoughtfully. “Maybe he did it on purpose?”

“How do I get it back? I can't call and ask him when he is free, I don't have his number,” Rey said.

“Contact list. Jess or I can,” Paige reminded her.

“Or Luke,” Jessika added, glancing at her own phone.

“Why would I ask Luke to? That’s way too many people knowing where I left my phone,” Rey said.

“Luke wants to talk to you. Apparently he’s been trying to reach you all morning,” Jessika said, turning her phone to show Rey the text their boss had sent.

“He tried me, too,” Paige said, glancing at her own phone. “Hey, don’t look so nervous. Maybe one of your go-sees went well and someone wants to hire you?”

Rey supposed that was the most logical reason Luke would be trying to speak with her. It wasn’t to chastise her for going out with his nephew, right? That would be absurd. He already sort of approved of it, after all.

She got up and dressed quickly, pulling on a cream large knit sweater over the brown leggings Paige had left her dressed in, taking a quick moment to at least change her underwear. She slipped on her cognac moccasins and headed up to Luke’s office, doing her best to calm the fluttering in her heart and the spazzing in her stomach.

“Come in,” Luke’s gruff voice entreated. “There she is! Maker, Rey, I was beginning to think my nephew had kidnapped you or something.”

“Well he did kidnap _something_. I’m sorry, Luke, but I think I left my phone with him,” Rey said, moving to sit in front of him. Artoo came around and chirped at her for attention, giving her legs and insistent headbutt. Rey complied, leaning down to scratch the old gray cat on his head.

“Your phone is important, Rey. An offer like this doesn’t just wait around for you,” Luke chastised.

“Offer?” Rey repeated.

“Tiure called.”

“T--Tiure? But I thought I wasn't sexy enough for that.”

“Hutt thought so, too. He was intent on just having Tallie, but then he saw this.” Luke rotated his computer monitor around, the _Starkiller_ article on display. “Why not the most flattering light for either of you, and I would prefer to _not_ think of my nephew performing... _that_ on a young woman who is basically in my care, it did paint you in a more desirable light to Hutt. He thinks that if a “womanizer" like Kylo Ren is attracted to you, you must be something worth looking at, so he wants you. Both of you, actually. He is contracting you and Tallie.”

“Oh,” Rey gasped.

“There’s a stipulation. It’s either both or neither. I’m sure you’ve heard of his less than stellar reputation from back in the day, and while no further claims have come out in the last decade or so, I’m still not comfortable with one of my girls being whisked away to some tropical island with him. However, if I have you both down there, then I know you can watch each other’s backs,” Luke explained.

“If you know he’s a danger, why put us in his path in the first place?” Rey asked. She thought of Kylo’s warning, of the tiny bit of backstory he’d allowed her access to. “What exactly did Hutt _do_ to your sister?”

Luke sighed, weary. “You talked to Ben about this, didn’t you?” He shook his head and turned his computer back around. “It was a hundred years ago, back when we were all young. Leia modeled this ridiculous piece of his during a brief internship and he laid his hands on her inappropriately. Our parents flipped out, but then his family came for ours, threatening to expose our father of some skeleton or another in his closet, so they had to settle out of court and away from the public. Part of the stipulation was that Hutt complete counseling for sex addiction, to be repeated every five years.”

Luke pushed away from his desk and got up, moving to gather something off his printer. “Now, I’d rather cut my hand off than expose one of my girls to his clutches, but he requested Tallie and offered...a lot. I told her about it first, I ran everything by her, gave her the whole history, everything. He may be a scumbag, but he’s a scumbag whose designs are incredibly popular and will help boost her career. But she agreed that she wouldn’t go alone, so I tempted him with you and Jess. I honestly expected him to go for Jess, but both of you could handle him. You will keep each other safe. And besides, his assistants are pretty good at keeping him behind the monitor. I’ve seen one of those girls take him down before. It was glorious.”

“Tallie is okay with this?” Rey repeated, thinking it over. She trusted Luke. And she knew he’d never do anything to harm his models. Besides, she knew Tallie. She’d done fitness modeling before and she had an impressive set of muscles, just soft enough to not distract from the high-fashion but definitely enough to send a warning. And Rey herself had survived worse than the wandering hands of a designer. It wouldn’t even be the first time.

“If you are,” Luke said. “No one is going to judge whichever decision you want to make, Rey. Tallie won’t be upset with you if you say no, and I won’t be, either. And if you decide that you do want to do it, I will support you. And pack you extra pepper spray.” He opened up a filing cabinet and produced a manila envelope, packed thickly. “Here’s proof that he’s finished the program and all refresher courses. My mother made sure it was always with someone different on her payroll to avoid any paying off from him.”

Rey thumbed through the pages, seeing certificates as well as notes from each therapist, detailing his improvements over the years. True to Luke’s words, the man had seemed to mellow out considerably, and there was even a letter of apology addressed to Leia, as well as a few to some other women.

“Alright, I’ll do it,” Rey said finally.

Luke nodded, settling back at his desk. “Excellent. I’ll call them both up and we’ll get your flight booked. You’re shooting in St. Lucia on Saturday.”

“ _This_ Saturday?” Rey parroted, eyes popping wide.

“You gotta move fast in the big leagues, kid. I’ll have a contract ready by tomorrow,” Luke said. “And hey, go get your phone back. I’m not hunting you down through your roommates again.”

Rey blushed and apologized before darting from the room. Now she _definitely_ needed to contact Kylo.

When she arrived back down to her apartment, Paige and Jessika were on her in an instant, demanding to know what had happened. Rey shot Jessika an apologetic look as she explained the situation, although Jessika simply shrugged it off.

“There will be other bathing suits in my future. You can have your tropical getaway with Tallie,” Jessika said with an easy smile. She then lit up further to see a message from Luke. “It looks like it’s my turn! I’ll be back in a minute!”

“You should probably call Kylo, Rey. I looked up his number for you,” Paige said once Jessika was gone. She handed her phone over, the contact already pulled up on her screen. “I’ll just head into the kitchen, give you some privacy.”

As Rey pressed to call, she had a feeling that no matter what, Paige would be calling Rose immediately after this. It was a good thing she loved those Tico girls.

“Kylo Ren,” came the deep and gruff answer.

“Kylo, it’s--it’s me. Rey. It’s Rey...Niima?” Rey stuttered. She groaned quietly. She really needed to get a handle on her phone conversations with him. What was it about him that turned her brain to insecure mush?

“Rey,” Kylo breathed out, his voice immediately changing to one of tenderness. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine! I’m fine. I just...I think I left my phone at your apartment, so I have to call you on Paige’s. Sorry about that. But I sort of need my phone back, so I was wondering when it would be convenient for me to come get it?” Rey asked. She winced at how formal she was sounding. This was ridiculous.

“I’m sorry, Rey, it’s my fault. I didn’t see it,” Kylo said, sounding sincerely bereft.

“No, no, don’t worry about it. And thank you, by the way. Paige said you were really...she said you were very sweet how you brought me home. I heard you even tucked me in?” Rey asked, voice dipping into a quieter register as she settled onto the couch.

“I couldn’t let you sleep at my apartment without your permission, Rey. I knew the right thing was to bring you home,” Kylo replied. “And I’m glad Miss Tico approves. She’s quite the mother hen.”

Rey gave a soft laugh, shooting a glance to the girl in question as she walked past the entry way into the kitchen. “There has never been a truer thing said about her.” She smiled softly, pausing a moment. “Are you free at all tonight?”

“It’s a short day for me, so I’m free by four. I can come pick you up?” Kylo offered.

“No, it’s fine! I can walk. The weather is nice,” Rey declined. “But maybe I’ll let you give me another ride home. One I’ll be awake for, this time.”

Kylo chuckled at that, a deep rumble that warmed Rey’s bones. “Sounds like a good plan. I’ll be home around 4:30. We can order in, if you’d like?”

Rey wondered if it was too much to eat a meal with him so many days in a row, to once again end up at his apartment, but she quieted that thought with the knowledge that soon she’d be in St. Lucia and they wouldn’t be able to do any of that. Besides, what harm was there in spending as much time with him as she could? She liked Kylo, and the more time she spent with him, the more reassured she felt that he was worth it. Besides the awkwardness of their first date, he’d been nothing but sweet to her.

“That sounds amazing. I can’t wait,” Rey said.

“I have to get back to work now, but I’ll see you later,” Kylo said.

In the background, Rey heard Phasma’s voice call out, “Who are you seeing later? We have a client dinner tonight, Ren!”

Rey giggled as Kylo groaned. “Until then, Rey.”

Just as Rey was hanging up, she heard Phasma’s delighted squeal and the beginnings of something that sounded like “I’ll cancel.”

_____________

It was probably the last warm day of the year, but as the sun began to move low, the chill began to set in and Rey found herself dressing for comfort rather than cuteness. She donned a simple pair of medium wash skinny jeans, her black riding boots, and retained the chunky knit sweater, pulling it down over her hands as she walked. It wasn’t too far, the walk a lot easier than she would have originally thought. She shivered in the cold shadow of the buildings, but the promise of seeing Kylo soon was keeping her heart pumping warm blood into her veins.

As she rounded to the front of his building, she was struck with the knowledge that she hadn’t come this way yet. There was a doorman, who raised his eyebrow at her.

“Are you here to see a resident?” he asked her.

Rey nodded. “I'm here to see Mr. Kylo Ren,” Rey replied, doing her best to look at normal and non-threatening as possible.

The man sneered at her, which at first caused Rey some confusion.

“We do not _have_ a resident by that name. Please excuse yourself from the perimeter.”

 _OH!_ For a moment she had allowed herself to forget that her (boyfriend?) was someone famous who would need to be protected from random, stalker-y fans.

“I’m sorry, I meant Ben Solo. He’s expecting me. My name is Rey Niima,” she tried again.

While the doorman still cast her a suspicious look, he glanced at his tablet, tapping around before finally giving her one curt nod.

“Sorry about that, Miss Niima.” He opened the door for Rey and communicated her destination to another attendant at the elevator.

Rey looked around Kylo’s lobby, golden and elegant. The building had old-time charm with modern elements, a contrast to his completely modern home at the top of it all. The attendant swiped his key for her in the elevator before bidding her a good evening, leaving Rey to ride alone.

When the doors opened, Rey called out, hesitating to move much further than the threshold. What if he wasn't home? She didn't want him to find her just making herself a nuisance in his home.

“In here, Rey,” came Kylo’s deep response.

Rey toed off her boots and made her way into the penthouse, heading towards where she heard his voice. She peered around his bedroom before she realized that he’d called her from inside his attached bathroom. She blushed to see that he was standing at his mirror, dressed only in dark rinse jeans, leaning over his sink as he rinsed his face.

He looked at her through the mirror, a slow smile spreading across his face as he took her in. “Hey, Rey.”

“Hi,” she whispered, unable to keep her eyes from drinking in every inch of bare skin.

Kylo dried his face off one last time before turning and strolling into the bedroom, wasting no time in approaching her and holding her close to him, his lips hard on hers. He made a low sound at the back of his throat, something between a growl and a moan, as his mouth devoured hers. Rey responded to his kiss eagerly, wrapping her arms tight around him and opening her mouth to allow him whatever freedoms he desired in her mouth. She moved her hands up and down his back, delighting to feel the hard muscles move beneath her palms. He was truly an Adonis, carved from marble or something.

“Have you ever modeled?” she found herself asking in a breathless whisper as he moved his lips across her jaw and down her neck.

Kylo chuckled against her skin, his hot breath making the trail of saliva on her neck tingle. “A few times, yeah. If you’re a good girl, I’ll show you pictures from my private collection.”

“I can be good,” Rey replied instantly, a needy little whine of a response.

“I know you can,” Kylo rumbled softly. He kissed back up to her lips, holding his attention there before breaking away and pressing a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. “Your phone is over there. I promise I didn’t read anything.”

Rey turned to where he’d indicated, seeing it plugged in on his nightstand. When she picked it up, she swiped through the waiting texts from Luke, as well as one recent one from Jess, which reminded her to have some fun sometimes, after which was a stream of increasingly suggestive emojis.

“It was going off quite a bit, though,” Kylo continued, coming up behind her. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, one hand gently stroking her hip.

“It was Luke. I got the Tiure contract, along with another model under Luke named Tallie. I guess we leave Friday to go shoot in St. Lucia,” Rey explained. She braced herself for Kylo’s reaction, holding her phone tightly.

“Did Luke explain things to you?” Kylo asked, his voice still even and low.

Rey nodded. “Yeah. He also gave me the choice if I wanted to go or not. But I want to. I really do. I need to prove that I can make the transition from safe catalogue to sexy campaign.”

“I think you’re plenty sexy,” Kylo said, leaning down to nuzzle her head, his lips at her ear. “I respect your decision, Rey, but, please, be safe. Stick close with Tallie if you can. I’ve never shot her but I’ve heard some amazing things, and apparently she’s known for not taking any crap. And I know you don’t, either.” He smirked then, a chuckle reverberating through him. “I was enthralled by you the moment you first glared at me. Most models just stay quiet and keep it inside, but you actually channeled your feelings through your eyes and it was magic.”

Rey turned in his arms, giving him a soft glare. “You were an arse. You don’t have to talk to models like that, you know. We’re real people with real feelings.”

“When I’m not getting the feelings I want, I get frustrated and try to evoke it myself,” Kylo shrugged simply.

“I know you do,” Rey muttered quietly. She shot a look towards the bed at their side, blushing as she remembered the very first time she was underneath him on a bed.

Kylo, too, seemed to be remembering his, as he began to caress her again. This time, he used one hand to bunch up the back of her sweater while the other drifted underneath to feel her skin. They both sighed at the feeling.

“How long can you stay?” Kylo asked.

“I don’t leave for two days,” Rey whispered.

Kylo smirked at that response. He leaned down, his face hovering inches about her own. “I’m sorry I broke my promise.”

Rey blinked at him, her mind slow as the lust began to swim through. “Huh?” came her barely-audible reply.

“I’m behind on eating you out every day. Please let me make that up to you.”

Rey gasped quietly. That wasn’t at all what she had expected to hear. She nodded, unable to find the words. It was always so much easier to snark and sass at him than it was to say anything on the spectrum of intimacy. She could only hope she would become more comfortable with that one day.

Kylo undid her pants first, sliding them down her legs. Kneeling before her now, he tenderly pulled her underwear down next, his eyes going dark as he gazed upon what he’d missed out on last night. “Sit down, sweetheart.”

Rey obeyed, stepping fully out of the pile of her clothes and taking the two steps back necessary to sit down on the bed. She chewed her lip, nervous as he parted her legs. This felt so much more submissive, on her end. Lying in the bed had been one thing, and in the shower had been another, but this, sitting at the edge of his bed with his massive form kneeling between her knees and that look in his eyes, made her feel like prey. And she liked it.

Kylo dipped between her legs, spreading her lips apart with his thumbs before swiping his tongue up her in one long, wet stripe. He worked her slowly at first, long licks with the flat of his tongue, only targeting her clit with the tip of it every other pass, dipping inside her on the other. When she began to whimper louder, he changed the tactic and just focused on her clit, sucking it up to the roof of his mouth and massaging it with his tongue.

“ _Maker!_ ” she moaned out, heading falling back at the sensation. It had only been three days, but she somehow, _somehow_ forgot that this felt so incredible. Distance made the memory fuzzy, but now she was so, so aware of what it felt like to have his mouth on her body.

He smirked against her for a moment, pleasure coursing through him at the knowledge that he could make her feel like this. He moved one hand to dip his fingers inside, slowly working her tight hole with one finger, while his other hand came to wrap around her hips, pushing her closer to him, needing more. He sucked her clit harder as he pushed his finger in deeper, stroking up in a come-hither motion to search for her g-spot. As he released her clit, he added a second finger just as slowly, pulling back to watch for a moment as her body engulfed his fingers. With another finger to aid his efforts, he quickly located the rough patch inside of her, as evidence by the way she jerked.

“Kylo!” she cried out. The lust was overwhelming her and she fell to her back, eyes closed tightly as he worked her towards an orgasm. When she felt his tongue once more on her folds, she keened loudly, pressing her hips forward into his face. “That feels so--so good,” she encouraged. The stretch of his fingers inside of her was amazing, although it left her body feeling suddenly unsatisfied. She knew there was something that could stretch her further, fill her up better. As as her orgasm was beginning to coil tightly in her stomach like a spring, she found herself wishing a different part of him was penetrating her.

“Come for me, sweetheart. Show me that you missed this just as much as I did,” Kylo murmured against her thigh, breaking away from a moment to rub his freshly-shaved face against it. He hit her g-spot again and he felt her thigh jump underneath him. He slid his lips across her heated flesh, moving along her thigh and back along her lips, tongue darting out to lick along the red and swollen flesh gently even as he increase the speed of his fingers.

“I want it--I want your--your--” Rey cut off with another moan when she felt his tongue slide along her clit once more. It was just as well, she still was unsure how she was supposed to go about asking someone to put their penis inside of you. But she wanted it, and she wanted it badly. Yet right now, she was able to push that thought aside, her focus beginning to zone in on the cliff he was nearly pushing her off of.

“Soon, sweetheart, soon. Come for me first,” Kylo promised, his lips moving only millimeters off her, before diving right back in.

Needing no further provocation, Rey careened off that cliff, eyes going wide and jaw falling open as her orgasm washed over her. She shook through the tremors of it, her body feeling both weak and exhilarated. She panted as she came down from it, whimpering softly as he continued to pump lazily into her, pressing soft kisses to her thighs and her mound. When he finally extracted his fingers, he pressed one last kiss to her stomach, just below her belly button, and sat back.

“Was that okay? Any soreness?” Kylo asked gently, running a hand up and down her calf.

“No. No. It was perfect. So--so perfect,” Rey panted.

“I’ll go get you some water,” Kylo said, rising.

When Rey lifted her head to watch him go, she felt a thrill rush through her to see the erection straining in his pants. She sat back up slowly, feeling her breathing regulate as Kylo came back from the bathroom with her glass of water. She thanked him and took a greedy gulp, humming happily as the cold water drained down her throat. He sat perfectly at ease next to her, despite the throbbing below his waist. After setting it on a coaster on his nightstand, she turned back to him.

Wanting more than anything to take care of him as he had her, she pressed her lips to him, pushing his shoulders with his hands so that he would fall back onto the bed this time. Kylo complied with her wishes with no protest, lying back on the bed, pliant and ready. Rey stripped herself of her sweater and bra, tossing them aside before she got at his pants. As soon as he erection sprang free, she straddled his hips, grinding herself on him while latching her mouth onto his neck. He groaned beneath her, gently thrusting his hips in rhythm with her, feeling the slick of her orgasm coat his aching member. In an ideal world, Rey would have liked to give him a blowjob, but her one and only attempt last time had been sloppy at best (even though Kylo had been so kind and encouraging through it all) so she knew that this would be simpler.

Plus, if she was lucky, this would encourage him to want to penetrate her.

“Fuck, sweetheart, you ride it so good,” Kylo growled out lowly, his wide hands holdings onto her hips tightly as he attempted to set the pace. “Do you want me to fuck you like this? Do you want to bounce on my cock?”

Rey shivered at the dirty turn of phrase, but she still nodded, her lips sliding over his collarbone. She ground down on him harder, defying the pace he was trying to pin her into, and giving an extra little nip of his skin when the tip of him slid over her still-throbbing clit. She was so much more sensitive after her orgasm and the contact made her need him inside all the more. But she wanted to ride this out just a bit longer, she wanted to enjoy the sensation of having this heady sense of control for just a moment more.

“Fuck, Rey, please give me an answer,” Kylo grunted, his eyes rolled back as she slid along him.

She reached behind her, taking careful hold on him and twisting her shoulder a bit to slide him in rather than answer. She went immediately still, suddenly remembering that while his fingers hadn’t felt like enough, his cock certainly was a _lot_. She came off of his chest and closed her eyes, sliding down on him as slowly as she could, allowing her body time to remember the feeling of this. The two times following the first had felt so much easier, but she knew that that was because the memory of him inside of her was still fresh in her body’s mind. It didn’t hurt, it was just an adjustment.

“You’re doing wonderfully, sweetheart. Just take it as slow as you need. I’ve got you,” Kylo murmured, leaning up to press gentle kisses along her throat. He held her hips still, gently assisting her descent. When she was fully seated on him, he let out another low growl. “Damn, baby, you feel so fucking good.”

“You, too,” Rey whimpered. She gave an experimental wriggle of  her hips, feeling the whole of him inside of her. Once she was sure her body was adjusted well enough, she attempted to lift off of him, letting out her own groan as she felt the drag of him inside of her. She lifted up until she felt only the head of him clenched by her entrance and then she slid back down again. She was grateful for Kylo’s assistance, her thighs already beginning to shake with the effort to go as slowly as her body required.

“That’s it, baby, that’s so perfect,” Kylo encouraged, his thumbs stroking the curve of her hip bones.

Rey began to pick up her pace, shifting her hips just the slightest bit to find the right angle. When she found it, when she finally found the angle that directed him exactly where she wanted him to go, little pants began escaping through her lips as she moved her hips up and down. Kylo followed along with her, snapping his hips up to meet her with all the enthusiasm she was giving to him. He moaned along with her, the sounds spurning her on to go faster, to descend harder, to give in to her most basic of instincts and fuck the man below her like she was made to do nothing but.

“Lean back, sweetheart. Sit up there. It will push me in deeper,” Kylo instructed.

Rey nodded and obeyed, pressing her palms on his chest so that she could sit above him. She tucked her feet safely below his thighs, feeling her toes so close to the edge of the bed, but she didn’t care. She keened loudly as this newest angle took him in even deeper and she began to bounce in earnest, hands clawing gently into his shoulders as she rode him for dear life.

“Maker, Kylo. That. Feels. So. Good!” Rey gasped out. This angle allowed Kylo to slam into her harder and she moaned her appreciation as their hips met with the most deliciously obscene sound she’d ever heard. The sound was so loud that she almost missed the sound of her phone going off.

Almost.

“Ignore it,” Rey panted, so desperate to come.

“It’s probably--ugh!--important!” Kylo groaned out.

Rey dared to glance at the display screen, barely visible from where she was seated atop him. But Luke’s picture was unmistakeable and that was enough to kill anyone’s sex drive.

No one should have to think of their boss while they fucked his nephew.

Kylo sensed the downshift in her enthusiasm and he groaned. “It’s fucking Luke, isn’t it?”

Rey sighed. “It is.”

There was a moment of silence before it started going off again.

“Just answer it. He won’t stop until you do,” Kylo said. He gave her hips a gentle caress before he assisted in lifting her off of him, wincing at the loss of warmth around his aching cock. “Your job is more important than this.”

Rey groaned pitifully, glaring at the device as she reached for it. “I know, I know. Damn you for being so sensible and right.” She took a quick sip of her water again before she finally answered the phone.

“So you _did_ get your phone back. Good. Please tell me that my nephew at least charged it up for you? You have a job this evening,” Luke said.

“What? No I don’t,” Rey blurted out. She began to panic. Had she forgotten something?

“Yes you do. Leia is doing a pop-up show this evening and she wants you in it. I’ve just sent an email over to you with the directions. Call is in an hour. Jess, Paige, and Tallie will meet you there. Finn will get there as soon as he’s done with his shoot from this afternoon. I’ll be by in a few hours to check that you all made it okay. I’ll see you soon, kid,” Luke said. And then, just like that, he hung up.

Kylo raised a quizzical brow. “That was brief. What did he want?”

Rey saw the email come through a moment later. “Would you believe me if I said we were cockblocked by not only your uncle, but also your mother?” she raised her phone to show her evidence.

Kylo groaned, running a hand over his face. “Typical. It’s like they know.”

They heard his phone going off in the other room and he grunted as he sat up.  

“And I’m going to go ahead and bet that that is my mother asking me to come along tonight.” He leaned forward and gave Rey’s cheek a quick peck, his eyes soft as he smiled at her. “Which I will. Because I will never miss the chance to shoot you.” He rose from the bed and padded lazily across the room, seemingly in no hurry to answer her call. “You can take a shower if you’d like.” As he reached to grab his phone from the couch, he smirked at her, “And I’ll join you.”

Rey never got in a shower faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the return of SMUT! But I'm also terribly mean, lol. You can blame my beautiful fellow author and sister in our pursuit of trash, Poaxath, who voted interrupted. She's always here for me to draw out the fun stuff <3 
> 
> I have all of my US friends had a pleasant Memorial Day! I just came off working the entirety of the weekend...and will continue to work through until Thursday. Phew, retail is hard work. My feet are deaaaaaaad >.< So I'm sorry it was a shorter chapter today, but I really wanted to get it out for you all!!! See you next Monday <3


	7. The Pop-Up Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and her friends participate in a House of Organa pop-up fashion show. Rey meets Han. Finn confronts Kylo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello loves! Happy Monday! (...what a gross sentence to write, lol)

 

They rode to the show together, Rey nervously chewing her lip all the while. Finn was going to be there. Finn was going to see them there. By all accounts, she ran the very real possibility of Finn seeing them there _together._ She was grateful that she’d at least have the girls there with her, but even that was bringing her very little comfort. The last time she’d seen Finn, she’d slapped him. She couldn’t imagine how he would feel seeing her with Kylo after all of that.

Rey Googled the venue as they drove and noted that it was hosting a benefit that evening, and she wondered if Leia was on the council who was throwing it or if they would be crashing it. Considering that even her son did not know, her money was on crashing it. Looking further into the guest of honor, she couldn’t find any connection to Leia.

“Kylo, why are we crashing a benefit for a Sana Starros?” Rey asked.

Kylo grimaced. “So _that’s_ who we are making a statement at.” He glanced at Rey for a moment, offering a small shrug. “She’s an ex-cop who dated my father once. Well, according to her, she was _married_ to my father, but there was never any proof of that. Although that didn’t stop the awkward fight between my parents before they got married. She moved on to a career as an art gallery owner and the benefit is in her honor tonight, some award for supporting the arts or something like it. Last I’d heard, she and my mother were on stable terms, so I’d either bet that Sana approves of this, or my mother is just being petty. When it comes to Leia Organa, either is possible.”

Rey’s eyes widened at that. “Wow. Your family is…”

“Dramatic. Yes, I know,” Kylo finished. “It’s a wonder that we’re the darlings of the paparazzi, isn’t it?” They rounded the corner and saw the barrage of town cars and limos, paparazzi lights flashing all the while.

“Look, there’s Luke!” Rey cried out, pointing to where Luke was lingering off to the side.

“I’ll see you inside, then,” Kylo promised, pulling around the series of cars to a spot nearest to where Luke was. He leaned across the car and gave her a quick, sound kiss.

Rey blushed but returned his kiss, feeling a bit breathless as she got out of the car. She watched his disappear before she went to meet up with Luke.

“Good, you’re here. Paige and Jess have been here for a while, they came along with Rose and Poe. Finn and the guys will be here any minute now, and I just saw Tallie’s car go by. Go ahead in and head to wardrobe. The show is going to start in less than an hour,” Luke instructed, urging her towards the rusted red door.

“Luke, this is legal...right?” Rey asked cautiously, hand on the frame.

“Always, kiddo. Always. Now get on in. My sister is dying to see you again,” Luke said with a wink at her.

Rey walked through the door, following the dimly lit hall down until she heard Rose’s boisterous laugh. Confident she was going to right way, Rey pushed aside a curtain and was greeted by a cacophony of greetings.

“She’s here!” Jessika said happily.

“She doesn’t look sexed up,” Rose pouted.

“Hey, sometimes it’s a more subtle look,” Jessika countered.

“Stop it, both of you!” Paige hissed, coming forward to her roommate. “Hi, sweetie. Welcome to the madness.”

Rey laughed awkwardly, glad that they had backed off that line of questioning so fast. She didn’t need everyone here to know that she had just come off of riding Kylo Ren’s dick not but an hour ago, or that they’d both been denied an orgasm. Sadly, their shower had really just been a shower, although the steamy make out session that occurred while they waited for the conditioner to settle was almost enough to tide them over. Almost.

Paige was dressed in a black high-necked wool dress with a white jacquard pattern on it, the dress short sleeved and falling just above her knees. Her dark hair was swept into a wild style bun, half a smoky eye on her face. Jessika was dressed to almost match her in a cap-sleeved dress of a similar neckline, her bodice entirely black while just her skirt boasted a white pattern. Her hair was being teased up wildly, the front of it slicked back severely. As Rey looked around the room at the other models assembled, they were dressed similarly in blacks, whites, and navy’s, each girl having a corresponding guy.

“Hey, Rey!” Kaydel greeted happily, pushing through to hug the girl. “I’m with you again! I just finished my last three models so you’re up next.”

Rey allowed Kaydel to lead her to an available chair, sitting patiently as Kaydel back-combed through her locks. When Kaydel made a comment about Rey’s freshly washed hair, she remained silent.

The chorus of greetings struck up again when Tallie came in, a finished Paige moving out of the way for the blonde’s turn. There was an air of excitement throughout the room, models and staff buzzing as they prepared for showtime. When Finn arrived with two more guys, Rey barely glanced his way. She couldn’t let Finn bother her when there was something more important going on.

“Time to get you dressed,” Poe announced, coming up next to Rey as Kaydel sprayed her with setting spray. “Hey, sorry if I’ve made anything, um, difficult for you. Jess said that some of the things I said might have not been entirely true. I hope you’ll believe me when I tell you that I have nothing but the best of intentions. Rose is like my family and Paige is her real family and you’re family to Paige so...you get where I’m going with this, right?”

Rey smiled at him, his rambling endearing. “I understand, Poe. Thanks for caring. It really means a lot to me.”

“Excellent,” Poe sighed with relief. “Alright, gorgeous, this is you.” He held out a white mini dress with a lace applique ending in a scalloped double-layered skirt that ghosted across the tops of her thighs. It was a mini dress in every sense of the word, but the high neckline kept it from looking too hoe.

“That’s so hot!” Tallie cheered excitedly, stepping out in her assigned piece as well. She was one of the few in navy, a high-necked peplum dress with a lace overlay. She’d been finished in makeup sooner, as they’d slicked her hair back and put it in a neat chignon at the back of her head. The styling seemed to be a mix between controlled and wild, telling the story of short skirts with high necklines.

“White really isn’t her color anymore,” Jessika giggled.

“What do you mean? It makes her skin practically glow!” Tallie said.

Glancing in a mirror, Rey saw that Finn was glaring in her direction. She angled herself away from him, rolling her eyes at Jessika’s endless giggles. Luckily, she was spared for having to say much more, as the designer had entered the room.

“Alright, kids, let’s all settle down! Quiet, quiet!” Attention on her, she smiled. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice to my Spring Ready-to-Wear Popup Show. Our gracious host, Sana Starros, is just about to give the signal for us to begin. You will be in a three-runway system, alternating boys and girls on each turn. Well, when I say runway, I mean tables. There are chairs set up to assist your ascent and a waiter has been poised to help you on and off. I want smoldering eyes, everyone, smirks of little secrets. Let’s go show them that the spring House of Organa collection is just as hot as each of you!”

Everyone cheered with excitement and followed Leia’s assistant, a lilac-haired woman named Amilyn, who was holding a clipboard and had on a headset.

“Not you, Rey! Come with me,” Leia called out through the sea of excited models moving past her.

Rey blinked, casting a nervous glance at her friends before going with the designer. Even Finn had looked to see what was going on before he was ushered from the room by the older woman.

“First of all, let me extend my apologies about the damned paparazzi ruining your date with my son, and then let me extend my apologies a second time for my damned son acting like a moron on it. Photos don’t tell a lie, no matter how well edited, and I can see that he was not treating you well. I swear that I raised him better,” Leia said.

“Oh, no, it’s alright. He’s...he made it up to me, I promise,” Rey said, blushing profusely.

“Excellent. Maybe he _did_ turn out alright,” Leia said, a smirk on her lips. “Now then, I have a little favor to ask you. As the face of my line, I’m going to have to ask you to do a wardrobe change so you can walk with me during the finale, but it’s going to require you to change in the kitchen. Is that alright with you? I’ve made sure that the room will be empty for it, but you never knew what pervs are going to linger because they know a basically nude model is going to be changing in there.”

“That’s fine! Absolutely fine!” Rey blurted out. She’d never deny Leia anything, she realized. It wasn’t just that the woman was a well-respected designer or that she’d hand selected her to be the face of her line or even that she was (dating?) the woman’s son, but rather...something else.

“Wonderful! Alright, let’s get you up there, then. I heard there’s a photographer who is dying to shoot you again,” Leia said, throwing the younger girl a wink much like her twin had done less than an hour ago.

Rey smiled, nodding as she scampered off to join the other models.

Amilyn moved Rey to where she belonged in the line up and all of Rey’s good feelings were gone when she realized that she would be walking with Finn as a part of her group. Sure enough, he was dressed in a white lace suit with a black shirt underneath, looking dark and handsome. Some distant part of her heart was upset that she had let his slip away, while the primary part of her mind was just so proud of how wonderful he looked. The rest of her was simply bitter that he was here to rain on her parade with his cutting glare.

The models heard the music switch from a string quartet to the quick beats of an energetic remix, the lights going from dim to dark to pops of neon. And just like that, the show began. As the models walked down the recently-cleared tables, having to skirt around beautiful centerpieces while keeping their eyes trained up, a video of Leia played, describing her vision and inspiration, cut with interviews from models and stylists she’d worked with, magazine editors praising her and celebrities gushing over her. Rey’s heart pounded as she stepped out for her turn, part of a well-oiled machine as the male model before her was helped down and she was helped up. She moved with her hands on her hips and a sway in her step, not to be blinded by the bright lights or the complicated maneuvering or the flashes of camera bulbs. The knowledge that Kylo was one of those flashes soothed her, knowing that at least someone was out there doing their best to make sure she looked good.

Rey’s first go was over before she knew it and as soon as she stepped around the corner to where they were being corralled, she was immediately shoved over to the kitchens, Rose stripping the white dress over her head while Kaydel helped her step into the new one. It was an ombre one-shoulder silk gown, a slit up nearly the entirety of her thigh. The dress combined the blacks, whites, and navy’s in stripes going every which way across her body, a fitting finale. She was able to worry for only a moment about stepping onto the tables in a longer dress, imagining the flowing skirts getting caught on one of the centerpieces. At least Leia would be with her, she reasoned. It would be okay.   
“Is she ready? Let’s go!” Amilyn hissed quietly, sticking her head into the quiet kitchen.

“Yes! Go, go!” Rose encouraged, shoving at Rey’s back as she and Kaydel cleaned up the mess they left behind.

Rey threw out a quick thanks as she was dragged by Amilyn. She passed Finn again, who did a quick double-take to see the change of outfit. Rey hardly had time to process that as she was pulled to the end of the line, where Leia smirked in waiting.

“Fantastic. That dress was made for you. I would know, I made it,” Leia laughed. “Let’s go knock ‘em dead, Rey.” She looped arms with the younger woman and gave her a little squeeze, smiling excitedly as the last models before them went.

The music changed, all lights directed on the center table as Rey and Leia stepped out. The assembled patrons stood up and cheered as the designer showed her face, showing admiration for both Leia and Rey’s new dress. They moved down the table as a seamless entity, the shorter woman helping to guide the model in her long skirt and high heels around the obstacles while they exuded confidence. It reminded Rey of how she had felt shooting with Leia, that sense of a motherly-figure who supported her and cared about her growth. Leia kept Rey steady and Rey kept them moving forward. When they reached the end of the table, two waiters were waiting to help them down and to the stage ahead, where the woman of honor was already calling praises for her once-rival.

Rey stood on the stage beside Leia, smirking and posing as Leia gave a grandiose but brief speech about her line. She then tugged Rey to her side, squeezing both her upper arms as she declared, for all those assembled, “And here is the inspiration! This is Rey Niima and she’s going to be a great, big star!”

The resulting applause had Rey laughing in disbelief. These people were cheering for her? But she was no one. Yet, as she searched the crowd, she could see that to these people, she was _someone_. And as she finally met the eyes of the photographer who was stealing her heart, pride evident even from so far away, she realized that his words from the other night were true. She shot him a private smile, her heart thrilling to see it returned.

She was so glad he wasn’t really that jackarse from their first date.

________________

Rey glowed with happiness as she was ushered around the room by Leia, rubbing elbows from artists and celebrities and people who made way too much money doing absolutely nothing except breathing. She even saw Phasma and Hux, standing with Kylo as another photographer she’d met before lobbied him with praise.

“Ah. Rey. This is my husband, Han Solo. Han, this is Rey Niima, the young woman I told you about,” Leia said as a man pushed through the crowd.

“Mr. Solo, I’m _such_ a big fan,” Rey enthused, shaking Han’s hand like the excited little gearhead that she was. “I’ve been following you career for years, although I had no idea that my two worlds would ever collide like this.”

Han smirked and lifted her hand to his lips, brushing a suave kiss across her knuckles. “Or three worlds, as I have seen. What’s a pretty thing like you doing being seen dating someone like my son?”

“Oh!” Rey gasped, jerking her hand back in surprise.

“Maker, Han, don’t start with that shit here. You can’t hit on your son’s girlfriend,” Leia snapped.

By her tone of voice, and in memory of the story she remembered Poe telling, Rey knew that this was a fight they’d had before, although she hoped it wasn’t often about Kylo’s girlfriends.

“What? She’s beautiful. I can see why she’s driven you to design like crazy. Fantastic show by the way, Princess,” Han chuckled, tucking his tiny wife to his side and leaning down to kiss her head. “Ah yes, speaking of.”

Rey felt Kylo before she saw him, the bare skin on her back tingling at his nearness. Kylo slid an arm around Rey’s waist, looking down at his parents.

“Han, imagine you coming to one of Leia’s shows,” Kylo said, aware as always that anyone could be listening.

“Kylo, isn’t it?” Han scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I was just meeting your girl here. Hot little number, definitely living up to that Solo name.”

“ _Han_ ,” Leia stressed again, this time a dangerous hiss.

“Rey has many fine qualities, although only a moron would limit himself to just seeing her physical,” Kylo sneered smoothly.

“Miss Organa, I think someone wants your attention for a photo!” Rey nearly shouted, taking immediate note of Amilyn signaling towards them.

“Looks like it. Come along, Han. Leave the kids alone,” Leia instructed, grabbing her husband’s hand to lead him away.

Kylo sighed heavily, turning to face Rey. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, his hands warm on her hips. “I’m sorry you had to meet my father like that, but I did warn you that my family is dramatic,” he murmured lowly, safe in their little world.

“He seemed charming, actually,” Rey smiled. “I could tell he was only kidding. You don’t have to worry about your dad stealing me away.”

Kylo let out a small chuckle at that. “Just everyone else, then?” He kissed her tenderly then, a hand coming up to cup her cheek. “You looked stunning out there. I could hardly take my lense off you.” He dipped farther forward, his lips brushing her ears as he added, “Plus, I still have the memory of you bouncing on my cock so fresh in my mind. Will you come back to my place?”

“Maker yes,” Rey whispered, feeling the heat shoot right through her at the idea of continuing what they had started before.

“So it’s really true.”

Rey froze, heat quickly replaced by ice. She felt Kylo stiffen above her, the man moving to stand straight and turn to face the other. She wasn’t sure if he had meant to block her off from Finn’s vision or not, but something told her that it might have been on purpose. As she felt Kylo pull himself to his full height, his shoulders falling back and his chest pressing out like some absurd animal posturing, she _knew_ it was on purpose.

“What is really true, Mr. Trooper?” Kylo asked, his voice low and serious.

“You’re actually dating her. Like, showing affection towards her in public and everything,” Finn said. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring up at the taller man. “I saw that article and I did not appreciate that way it looked like you were treating her, but after hearing that it was taken down and seeing this...I guess you might actually stand a chance at caring about her.”

“Finn!” Rey hissed, pushing out from behind Kylo. “You can’t just--wait, taken down?” She looked up at Kylo. “You...you had the _Starkiller_ article taken down?”

“Of course I did. I already told you that I would not have your name dragged through the mud. Mind you, there are screenshots and other articles, but at least for now, anyone who checks that piece of junk website won’t see your defamation plastered on the homepage,” Kylo replied, looking down at her with soft affection in his eyes.

“That’s noble of you,” Finn said. “I guess a guy who is just looking for casual sex wouldn’t go through all of that trouble.” Finn stepped forward then, a challenge in his dark eyes. “But just know that if I do find out that this is some elaborate plan to just use her, or if you hurt her in any way, I’ll be coming for you.”

“Wow, Finn. That’s so extra,” Jessika scoffed, coming up from the side with the models and styling girls in tow.

“You don’t own Rey, Finn. She can take care of herself,” Paige said.

Rose thought it was sweet, but she also knew the whole story and kept that opinion quiet. It was messed up that he thought he had some sort of ownership over Rey, but she thought his devotion to her was endearing.

“C’mon, Finn, let’s go get a drink. Miss Organa said we get to keep our clothes and we should be celebrating,” Tallie said, coming forward to grab him around the shoulders. “Let’s get a drink and talk about a woman’s right to pick her boyfriend, regardless of obligations.” She threw a wink over her shoulder back at Rey as the girls walked away.

“Well, I don’t think this night could get any more embarrassing,” Rey breathed out, wincing.

“I agree,” Kylo said, matching her in expression and tone. He then relaxed and reached down to take her hand. “Let’s get going. I think our presence has been made known enough for the night.”

Rey smiled and nodded, moving through the crowd at his side. She was aware of the curious looks and the low whispers as people noticed that Leia Organa’s inspiration was holding hands with _the_ Kylo Ren, but she didn’t care. She felt like she was on cloud 9, wearing a gorgeous dress and having a gorgeous man at the end of her hand. This was surely paradise.

Kylo waited outside the dressing room for Rey to reappear, two garment bags slung over her arms, her payment and prizes. Well, actually, according to the email, she was being compensated incredibly generously for the short-notice gig. That had thrilled her, knowing that she was one step closer to what she’d been saving up for since she was fifteen.

Rey and Kylo rode back to this apartment with excitement buzzing through them both. They made out, hot and heavy, in the elevator, and carried that through his living room, clothing littered behind them as they made their way back to the bed they’d been so cruelly pulled from before. Rey pushed him onto his back, excited to giving this whole riding thing another try, only to be confused when he slipped out from underneath her.

“Come here, sweetheart,” Kylo said, his voice rough with lust as he came off the bed. He guided her to kneel on the bed and then pressed gently between her shoulder blades, pulling her hips back so that her beautiful ass was sticking up in the air.

Rey squirmed uncomfortably for a moment, embarrassment at being so exposed cutting through the thick haze of her lust. Kylo cooed words of praise at her, dragging his fingers down her plump skin and moving so close to where she was beginning to drip for him. She forgot all about being ashamed at the position almost instantly, the lust returning once again as he fingered her from behind. This angle was new, his fingers stroking her with deeper ease.

“Fuck, Kylo, that’s so fucking good,” she whimpered, thrusting her hips back towards his fingers.

She then felt the swipe of his tongue and she keened louder, her face falling forward into the mattress as she choked out a few strangled cries. He licked her in long, languid strokes, his tongue penetrating her for a few wiggles before he moved down to flick at her clit. Damn, he really wanted to make up for this whole not eating her out thing, didn’t he? Not that she was complaining. This felt so good. He could do no wrong to her. Everything was heavenly. As she felt his tongue swipe up a bit _too_ far, though, she jerked forward, pulling herself away from him. Heat bloomed across her cheeks as she realized that that had felt...but no, that was gross. Right?

“I’m sorry, baby. Only what you’re comfortable with,” Kylo said softly. He leaned forward, slowly peppering her with light kisses down the backs of her thighs.

Rey had no idea how to tell him that she hadn’t actually hated that. Maker, was he turning her into some sort of hedonist?

“Is it okay to fuck you like this, Rey?” Kylo asked, pulling her hips back up and prying her thighs further apart.

“Mmhmm,” Rey nodded, chewing her lip. His fingers had felt so incredible that she could only imagine what his dick would feel like in its place.

Kylo stood with an eagerness that endeared him further in Rey’s heart, and as she peaked over her shoulder, she saw that he looked just as lust-crazed as she felt. Seeing him towering over her made her heart race and she pressed her hips back, seeking him out insistently like a cat in heat.

“Maker, Rey!” Kylo growled out as he plunged into her tight, wet heat. “Fuck, baby.” He set a quick pace, pounding into her as if he could catch that orgasm he had been denied earlier. “Just like that, sweetheart. You take my cock so well. Maker, your wet pussy feel so incredible around my fucking cock.”  

Rey had lost all powers of speech, her eyes rolled back in her head as he hit her g-spot almost instantly in this new angle. She could only moan back in response, listening to the smack of his hips on her arse and the way the bed squeaked beneath her. He was fucking her so good, _so_ deep, and she clutched the sheets beneath her with tight hands, trying so hard to stave off her orgasm until he did, too. The Maker seemed to be generous with them right now and had allowed them to pick up where they’d left off hours ago, their bodies aching to finish what had been started and so rudely interrupted.

“Kylo!” She shrieked out as her orgasm crashed over her, feeling her cunt tightened and spasm around him.

“Fuck, baby, fuuuuuuck!” Kylo chorused, following after her almost instantly.

Rey shuddered to feel his come pumped into her, her body feeling so full and satiated.

And then Kylo’s phone rang.

Panting, they both laughed. Kylo leaned forward and kissed her shoulder, determined to ignore it as he prepared to scoop her up and lie them both down on the bed properly.

But then it kept ringing. And ringing. And ringing.

“I’m going to get a cellphone jammer so nothing ever tries to interrupt us again,” Kylo grumbled, prying his sweaty body away from hers.

Rey bit her lip as she watched him move on shaking legs into the living room, grabbing his pants off the floor and his phone out of them.

“Yes, _Mother_?”

Rey laughed out loud. She couldn’t help it.

Did the Skywalker twins have some sort of a beacon that went off when they were having sex or something?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your reviews!!! I hope I was able to respond to everyone, I've been trying >.< I love you all so much and I never want anyone to feel ignored by me. Your feedback feeds my soul <3 
> 
> And I'm glad everyone loved the Cockblock Twins. It would be a real shame if they ever...did that...again ;) 
> 
> <3 
> 
> OUTFITS TIME!:  
> [Paige](https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306634682&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524447174851&R=889261308847&P_name=Alexander+McQueen&N=306634682+4294902005+4294902000+4294904637&bmUID=mcoavT8)  
> [Jessika](https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306634682&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524447221316&R=8058336607853&P_name=Versace&N=306634682+4294902005+4294902000+4294904637&bmUID=mcocRpy)  
> [Tallie](https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306634682&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524447170925&R=840578111445&P_name=Reem+Acra&N=306634682+4294902005+4294902000+4294904637&bmUID=mco80qe)  
> [Rey white dress](https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306634682&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524447156503&R=842598124160&P_name=Jonathan+Simkhai&N=306634682+4294902005+4294902000+4294904637&bmUID=mcoeSkA)  
> [Rey blue](https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306634682&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524447214244&R=842393574559&P_name=Pamella+Roland&N=306634682+4294929607+4294929614+4294929599+4294929616&bmUID=mf180i.)


	8. Getting to Know All About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo spend some time together before she leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hides*

The next morning, Rey awoke to a rapid series of message alerts on her phone. At first she panicked, wondering if she’d somehow slept through Thursday and she was now missing her flight. But she quickly remembered that no, it was absolutely Thursday now and she was fine. This was something else. She frowned to note that Kylo was already out of bed, but when she reached behind her she found the spot still lingering with warmth and worried that the messages had woken him up even earlier. She grabbed her phone and was hardly surprised to see that it was a group message with Paige, Jessika, and Rose. What she was surprised to see, however, was that it was nothing but links. 

Links to news websites, magazine websites, and blogs, all of which talked about her. 

 

_ Fashion Maven Leia Organa Highlights Fresh-Faced Brunette in Pop-Up Fashion Show.  _

 

_ House of Organa keeps it young with youthful models at pop-up show. Headliner is a stunner. _

 

_ Who’s that Girl? Click to learn more about fashion model Rey Niima and how she’s about to take the fashion world by storm.  _

 

_ Pop-Up Show Surprises Guests. Featured Model Charms Them More.  _

_ America’s Next Top Model is...British? Read all about breakout fashion model Rey Niima and how she went from catalogue to high fashion in a move truly out of Tyra’s book.  _

 

_ Click to see the twenty-six models who stomped the runway at the House of Organa Pop-Up Show. Number 26 is your next crush!   _

 

Rey scrolled through article after article, seeing her face plastered over and over again, alongside those of her friends. She almost laughed at the two who chronicled her modeling career, cringing at some of her earliest shots from when she was fourteen. Was there a way to burn something on the internet? 

Another slew of articles came through, most of which sent by Jessika. 

 

_ Classic or Cliche? Photographer Kylo Ren seen canoodling with fashion model Rey Niima.  _

 

_ Is This Love or Lust? Photographer Kylo Ren seen twice in one week with model Rey Niima at Sana Starros Benefit.  _

 

_ Fashion Model Snags More Than Just Acclaim; Photographer Also Hers _

 

_ Is Kylo Ren fighting a quarter-life crisis by dating teenager?  _

 

_ Hands Held and Heart Melt: Has Photographer Kylo Ren finally met the woman of his dreams? _

 

There was one from Rose, followed by several negative reactions from each of the girls:

 

_ Model Pits Ex Against Photographer: Who Will Win in the Fight for Her Love?  _

 

Rey rolled her eyes to see images snapped of the moment Finn had confronted Kylo, their brief exchange stretched out over six images. It was also sure to dig up several of the photo shoots she’d done with Finn as well as the images from her ill-fated first date with Kylo and even one from their second, fairly blurry and from rather far away depicting them walking back to his car after eating. 

The final article, sent by Paige, has Rey turning bright red.

 

_ Size really matters? How do these couples with size differences make  _ it  _ work?  _

 

**Rey Niima:**

_ Maker. Have these people no shame???? _

 

**Jessika Pava:**

_ Hey, it’s an important question people want to know.  _

 

**Rose Tico:**

_ Omg Jess!!!!!! _

 

**Paige Tico:**

_ Rose, can I come move in when Rey leaves us all for Casa de Kylo for good?  _

 

**Rey Niima:**

_ Paige!!!! I’m not going anywhere!!!! _

 

**Jessika Pava:**

_ Maybe Rose can come live with you, Paige. Poe and I are shacking up again tonight ;) ;) ;) ;) _

 

**Rose Tico:**

_ I’m still healing over the last time!  _

 

**Jessika Pava:**

_ Don’t be jelly, bae!!! _

 

Rey heard the sound of the toilet flush and the sink running and she straightened up. 

 

**Rey Niima:**

_ Gotta go! Love you all! <3  _

 

She turned her sound down just as a series of lewd messages from Jessika popped up, Kylo exiting the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He smiled, leaning down to kiss her head. 

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” he asked, moving to sit next to her on the bed. 

“I feel amazing. And sorry if my friends woke you up. Apparently we were hot news again last night,” Rey said. 

He chuckled, nodding. “Phasma loves sending them to me, too. She sort of credits herself with getting us together.” 

Rey was confused for only a moment until she remembered all of the pictures that kept popping up in the car. “So that  _ was _ on purpose.” 

Kylo smirked, leaning back on his elbows. “Phas never does anything by accident. She saw how smitten I was with you and decided that I apparently couldn’t make a move on my own. Although I must agree that the photo that she got of us on that bed together  _ did  _ give me the extra push I needed. Seeing everything I wanted reflected back in your eyes…” he broke off with a pleasant shudder. 

Rey blushed, remembering how that moment had made her feel. “I won’t lie, that moment the most erotic thing that had ever happened to me at that point in my life. I was so convinced you hated me, especially after our bathroom incident, but when you were holding me down on that bed  _ while  _ fending off Finn as if it was nothing, I let myself hope. I didn't even realize I wanted you that way until it seemed like a very real possibility.” 

“How could I not want you?” he asked quietly, caressing up and down her legs from above the sheet. 

“Have you never read a single article about you? You’re “World-Famous Heartbreakingly Handsome Fashion Photographer Kylo Ren". Even if your dating history is mostly slander and lies, you’re still  _ you  _ and up until that moment I never thought a you would like a me,” she replied. “But now I am working on my confidence because a certain someone asked me to and I can admit that I am pleased that you want me because I want you, too. And right now, I want you to come back under these sheets with me so we can enjoy the day before I go.” Her facade suddenly melted as the rational side of her spoke up. “Unless you have work to do. Then please, don’t let me keep you.” 

Kylo chuckled, moving to crawl over her. “Rey, besides my mother and uncle, apparently,  _ nothing  _ would keep me from enjoying my time with you. Especially when you ask for it so nicely like a good girl.” His eyes turned dark as he loomed over her, sliding the sheet slowly away from her naked body. “Do you want to be a good girl for me, Rey?”

Rey swallowed thickly, heat shooting right through her core. “Yes,” came her breathless reply.  

“Yes  _ what,  _ Rey? Good girls get what they want when they ask nicely  _ and  _ properly.” Kylo prompted, leaning down to pepper kisses down the column of her throat. Knowing she had time before she was photographed next, he’d sucked quite a few pretty spots into her flesh last night and seemed determined to add to it today. 

“Yes, sir?” she tried, moving her hands up to gently caress his back. 

She was surprised, however, when he pinned her wrists up above her head. 

“You have to  _ earn  _ the right to touch me, sweetheart. Understood?” Kylo asked. 

There was something else in his eyes, something that whispered that she was free to protest to this roleplay if she wanted to. 

She did not want to.

“Yes, sir,” she replied obediently, feeling another rush of heat through her core.

“Good girl,” he purred in approval.  

She shuddered in anticipation as he loomed above her, his eyes dark and heated. His tongue darted out for the briefest of moments, his red lips shining lightly afterwards. The sight made her lick her own and he smirked. 

“Such a good girl. My perfect little Rey,” he murmured, leaning down to mouth at her neck, his lips trailing down her collarbone. He moved down to her left breast, sucking the hardened peak into his mouth for the briefest of sucks. “Keep yours eyes on me, sweetheart. A good girl watches what is being done to her in appreciation.” 

“Yes, sir,” she whimpered in reply, tipping her chin down to watch him. 

She let out a tiny cry as he tongued so lightly over her nipple, just barely teasing the peak with the tip of his tongue. He had a small bit of mercy on her, loving his whole tongue against it for a few strokes before he drew his lips around it and gave a suck. 

“Oh  _ Maker _ , Kylo!” she gasped out. She twitched to grab his head and pull him closer but he was still holding her wrists. 

Kylo hummed in pleasure in response, lightly grazing his teeth over the bud before placing a light kiss to it. Pleased, he kissed a path across to the other one, this time sucking it good and hard before he teased it lightly for just a bit longer. Once he was satisfied with her whimpering and panting, he kissed down her sternum, light and sensuous. 

“You’re being a very good girl, Rey. Would you like my tongue or my fingers?” he asked, hovering just above her mound. 

“I--I want your--um…”

“Ah, ah, ah, Miss Niima. Where’s that confidence? Are you going to be a good girl or not?” he asked, smirking lightly. He trailed his lips across her heated skin, just along the seam of her. 

“Mouth!” She gasped. “ _ Please _ .” 

Kylo wasted no time, nudging her legs further apart with his shoulders to settle between and dive in. He was too far away to hold her wrists now, but the searing look he gave her with his dark eyes commanded her to keep them there and she did. But he held true to his word and did not use his fingers on her at all, using only his plush mouth and his sharp tongue to lap at her folds, to give attention to the aching little pearl at the top of her sex. He dipped his tongue inside of her a few times before sucking her clit in, humming again as she writhed and moaned beneath him. 

Rey was blissed out almost entirely, her eyes having a hard time holding his as the plessure threatened to overwhelm her. But she wanted to be good for him and she wanted him to be pleased with her and she wanted to come so, so badly, so she fought the instinct to close her eyes and held his gaze instead. 

“Maker, Kylo! I’m gonna--oh!” she cried, bucking into his mouth so enticingly. 

“Come for me, sweetheart. If you come, you can touch me,” he promised against her glistening folds. 

She didn’t need to be told twice and she came undone beneath him, melting into a glorious puddle of ecstasy beneath him as the dam inside of her burst and her world shifted. She cried out something that sounded sort of like his name, or at least that was what she had intended. She couldn’t remember. 

“Good girl. Such a perfect girl,” he praised, licking her through the aftershocks. He drank from her as if he was a man dying of thirst and damn if she didn’t want to always be his source of relief.

As her world came back to her, she remembered that she was allowed to touch him now and she practically pounced on him. It took a bit of finesse but she was able to pin him beneath her and slide him inside easily, bouncing on top of him as she licked and sucked at his neck. 

“Just like that, baby. Maker, you’re so fucking perfect,” he groaned, holding her hips as he helped guide her movements. 

Just as she was about to come again, though, she squeezed his hips and bid them to roll over, settling on their sides as she continued to writhe on the bed beside him, around him. Her eyes were hooded but still locked, as always, with his. It turned her on so much more to see that he looked just as blissed as she felt, to see his eyes glazed over and his mouth parted as he likewise panted. He gripped her thigh and hitched it higher, deepening their angle. 

“ _ Kylo!” _ she screamed, her nails digging into his shoulders enough to draw blood. But she was orgasming again and she could feel little more than the violent spasms of her vaginal walls around his cock. 

“ _ Fuck!  _ Rey!” he cried out a moment after, his eyes rolling back at he came in her, so deeply rooted inside her body. 

They laid there, breathless and blissed out, as their heartrates returned to normal, weakly still clinging to each other. 

“You--you--you looked away first,” she panted, a weak little laugh escaping her lips. 

He harsly had any more enegy, but he laughed, still, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Good girl. Following the rules. Smart--brilliant Rey.” 

She glowed under his praise, so happy and sated. She was happy that she could spend all day with him until they were separated for the weekend. 

________

They spent the day lazying around his penthouse, watching some movies, eating food when appropriate, having sex when the need hit them, and getting to know each other. 

Kylo told her about growing up amidst a fashion empire, about watching his mother stay up late at night sketching new designs, about doing his art homework and how she liked taking his color combinations are inspiration. He told her about watching his dad work on the old beater in the garage, Luke on a bar stool with a beer and watching, his other “uncle”, Chewie, digging through the toolbox for the next necessary instrument. He said these moments were few and far between and he would relish the times when Han asked him to come help, too. But then Han would go away again and Kylo would go back to sitting at his mother’s side and commenting on which silhouettes he thought would go best this season. 

Rey told him about growing up in the foster system, about the kids who had come and gone, about the three times she had almost been adopted, only to spoil them all with the insistence that her parents were coming and she didn’t want a new family. No one wanted a little girl so stubborn in her fantasy and once she hit nine, no one really looked at her again. But she had fallen so in love with fashion and with modelling and with the secret idea that her parents could see her this way that she didn’t care. She told him about her bond with Finn and how important he was to her. She told him about how much she loved Paige and Jessika and finally feeling like she had a family. 

Luke had interrupted the fun (seriously, she was going to check Kylo’s apartment for cameras or something) as evening fell, explaining that she needed to go get another wax in anticipation of the weekend. He’d made an appointment for her, late but as a favor from a friend, and Kylo unabashedly went along with her, shrugging as he said he would just get his eyebrows touched up and maybe a manicure. The girls at the salon were tickled pink and excited to extend the favor to the handsome photographer, even as they tried to deny his attempt at double paying them for staying open just for them. But he paid them the money regardless, explaining that it was only fair, and he took Rey back to her apartment so that she could return under Luke’s far-too-watchful eye. 

“You can come up, if you want to. I’m sure the girls would love to see you again,” Rey offered as they sat at the curb outside her apartment. She knew it would be a tight squeeze with all four of them in there, and there was no chance in hell that he would fit in her tiny little bed (even she barely fit) but she wasn’t quite ready to let go. 

“If you’re not sick of me yet,” he teased lightly, smirking. “I’ll get the car parked and meet you upstairs. Sound good?” 

She smiled broadly and leaned across the counsel to kiss him. “Sounds perfect! I’ll go warn the girls.” 

She hopped out of the car and excitedly texted her friends, only just then remembering that Jessika was going to be with Poe again. Paige said that Rose was over, though, needing to seek refuge from the depraved activities happening in her apartment, although she was currently in the boy’s apartment. Rey furrowed her brow at that, wondering what Rose was doing in a room full of boys. Surely Rose didn’t have a crush on someone? That made a giddy thrill run through her and she wondered who, who was the lucky male model who Rose had set her sights on. 

“Are they ready for me?” Kylo asked, strolling up to her. 

Rey couldn’t believe he was back so soon. “Do you have valet on speed dial or something?” 

He smiled and shrugged, remaining tight-lipped as he draped an arm around her shoulders and led her into her building. This frustrated Rey but she knew better than to pester him for information. He would give it when he wanted to.

Paige was excited to see them both, immediately springing up to greet them. “Hello again, Mr. Ren! I see you returned my girl in one piece, although I know for a fact that she didn’t have all those little moles on her before.” 

Rey blushed, ducking her head as she slipped past her friend. Blessedly, Kylo just chuckled. 

“Hello again to you too, Miss Tico. I’m happy to return her with her new and improved markings.” 

Paige smirked at that, swatting Rey on the ass as she slinked past. “He’s a smart one, that’s for sure. A good match for our little Brit wit.” She stepped back to allow Kylo full entry to the apartment. “Rose is next door making googly eyes at her wanna-be boyfriend, so we have the apartment to ourselves for now. Jess is off somewhere, probably defiling a public space with Poe.” 

“Who is the wanna-be boyfriend?” Rey pressed. 

“Sister secret, sorry!” Paige said, smiling softly. 

Rey pouted but she understood. She loved Paige and Rose like her own sisters, but she knew that there were some things that stayed purely between them. And besides, it wasn’t like she wouldn’t know soon, anyway. Rose was rotten at keeping secrets. 

“Are Miss Pava and Dameron an official item now?” Kylo asked, leaning down to take off his shoes properly. 

“I don’t think Jess has  _ ever _ used a proper title before. She’s not big into them. However, if anyone stands a chance at actually being  _ her _ for-real boyfriend, it’s Poe. Just like with you two, no one can match her sexual energy quite the same way.” Paige winced, going to sit back on the couch as she added, “Trust me, I know.” 

“Take a seat, Kylo. I’m just going to slip into something a bit more comfortable,” Rey said before heading into her room. She had spent the majority of the day in various stages of undress, most of the time only bothering with one of his shirts, and had slipped on her pants from yesterday before they went to the salon, sans underwear. Although she wasn’t ready to take off his shirt yet, her freshly-waxed body needed to breathe and she slipped out of her pants and into a pair of cotton shorts, hanging the House of Organa dresses up in her portion of the closet afterwards. 

When she reemerged from the bedroom, she smiled a moment to see Paige and Kylo sitting on the same couch together, a cushion between them just for her. It warmed her heart to see Kylo looking so domestic in this setting of her life. As she settled happily between them, her heart fluttered furter when he draped his arm around her shoulders again and allowed her to lean into his strong chest, all while he smiled easily and made conversation with Paige. They talked about the fashion world, about the places he’d been and the brands he’d worked with. Kylo gave advice when she asked for it and doled out little anecdotes where appropriate. 

Rose finally made her entrance around an hour later, glowing with happiness at her little secret. Rey tried to get it out of her, but it seemed like her lips were firmly sealed (and was it possible, but freshly kissed, as well?). Rose was a bit more wary of Kylo than her sister had been, eyeing his suspiciously from her place in the arm chair. But when she realized how at ease Paige was with him, and when she took in how comfortable and happy Rey was tucked into his side, she relaxed and began raining down question upon question about what make up he thought really photographed the best in which lighting and discussing plans for a beauty shot that she’d always dreamed about. 

It was late when Kylo finally declared it a night, reminding Rey that while she had a mid-morning flight, it was best for her to wake up early. 

“I’ll drive you to the airport, if you’d like,” Kylo asked, standing at the front door with her. 

“Luke is going to take Tallie and I, actually. But I’ll video call you when we land?” Rey suggested. 

Kylo smiled softly at that and leaned down to kiss her forehead, tender and sweet. “Sounds perfect. I hope you have a safe flight, Rey. And I hope you have a good time. Your first Caribbean photoshoot is always memorable.” 

Rey laughed a bit at that. “I can’t even imagine a life where I can  _ say _ a sentence like that and mean it as wistfully as you do.” 

Kylo chuckled. “You’re headed for that, Rey. I know you are.” 

He leaned down and kissed her softly, cupping her face so gently with his large hand, his other stroking her shoulder lightly. He moaned softly into her mouth, the sound matching the one she made as they pulled away. 

“Bye, Kylo,” she said, a little lightheaded and breathless. 

“See you soon, Rey.” 

_____________

Rey couldn’t remember the last time she’d flown in an airplane (maybe it had been before she came to the States with her parents) but she quickly decided that she  _ loved _ it. She loved watching the world below them, watching like a little kid with her face pressed to the window. Tallie was a great flight partner, too, and they both kept each other calm during moments of rough turbulence and watched the same movies so that they could laugh together. They even researched poses together, swiping through images on Tallie’s tablet and thumbing through the pages of the magazines Rey had bought. Tallie laughed and cringed every time one of her photos came up in the search, only too eager to point out what was wrong or what had been touched up while Rey tried to reassure her that they wouldn’t have been chosen if they weren’t going to be perfect for this. 

“You’re a natural, Rey. Everyone one the Internet loves you.  _ Plus _ , a certain very famous photographer seems to be  _ so  _ smitten with you and I am  _ so  _ jealous,” Tallie said, practically melting as she switched gears and began pulling up articles about Rey and Kylo. “Look at this one!  _ Is Rey Ren a Mouthful? Sources Close to the Couple Say She’ll Find Out Soon Enough! _ Good Maker, that’s ridiculous and I love it!” 

Rey blushed, but her eyes were glued to the photos that showed Kylo walking past Tiffany’s. It was just a coincidence, she knew that he hadn’t gone inside, but it was still a bit exciting to see. 

“Kylo is really great,” she mumbled. 

“Paige said that he’s, like, super devoted to you already. She was texting me last night that you two were this disgustingly cute couple, all perfectly in sync and that sort of junk. You’ve got to tell me how you did it,” Tallie asked, leaning in closer to hear the secret. 

“I honestly have no idea. I thought he hated me, honestly,” Rey replied with a shrug. 

Tallie smiled and leaned back, sighing wistfully. “That’s so cute. The perfect little love story!” 

“We’re not in love, Tallie!” Rey hissed, looking up in alarm just in case someone was listening. 

Tallie giggled. “You know what I mean!” She then lowered her voice and leaned in again. “And why not?” 

“We--we barely know each other. It’s only been a week! People don’t fall in love in a week,” Rey replied. 

Tallie smirked, a glint in her eyes. “Alright, kiddo. If that’s what you want to go with, I support you.” 

Rey spent the rest of the flight wondering when, exactly, the appropriate time was for a person to fall in love. After a month of dating? Half a year? A whole year? 

Or could it really be just a week?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not have enough words to say how sorry I am for the delay, so instead I will express my love and gratitude for everyone who is still with me. You all mean the world to me and I am eternally sorry that I have done this to you. The voices for these two come on so strongly, but then they fade away and I'm left with half-written chapters, tiny tidbits here and there before they come back to me. I have this all outlined out, it's just forcing these two to talk to me long enough to get their story out. Honestly, most of this chapter wasn't even IN the original outline, but then those two wanted to have kinky sex and all that and I couldn't resist them. But I'm trying, I promise I am, and I am endlessly and eternally grateful for my beautiful readers who still have faith in me and my little fashion story. I love you guys and I don't deserve you.


	9. Knocked Some Sense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey has a shoot she'll not soon be forgetting; Kylo makes a move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. I hope you're still with me, here. Please enjoy <3

The Caribbean was  _ gorgeous  _ and Rey was happy to soak up every moment of it. True to her word, she video called Kylo as they were walking through the airport, but the connection was bad and she could barely make out anything he said. But she was happy to see his face, and Tallie was excited to wave at him and promise that she was going to watch over Rey. Rey said that she’d try calling him later and she hoped that it made it through. For now, however, she was excited to just enjoy the heat and the sun and the sand and the waves.

The hotel they’d been sent to wasn’t the fanciest, but it also wasn’t the slummiest. It only had one queen-sized bed but they didn’t care. They wished they could go out and play in the sun immediately, but it wouldn’t do to be sunburnt before they started shooting in the morning so they lathered each other up in SPF-50 and went swimming in the pool at the hotel, safe in the shadow of the building. They were joined by Twi and Leke, Mr. Hutt’s assistants, who happily sunned themselves on the deck while it was still sunny enough. Rey was glad that they didn’t see Mr. Hutt at all, but Leke did make mention that his room overlooked the pool (which made sense, as the pool faced the ocean). Rey decided that he was too busy to spy on any of them and she enjoyed her swim. 

They did see Mr. Hutt that evening for dinner, where they were treated to one of the nicest restaurants on the island. Rey was glad that Tallie had warned that this would be a possibility and had thus packed accordingly. She donned a white off-the-shoulder maxi dress, lace with the occasional horizontal solid band. Tallie dressed to match in a black v-neck lace maxi dress with more pronounced tiers of lace and solid. Tallie dressed hers with simple black strappy heeled sandals while Rey wore flat white sandals with gemstones over her foot. Tallie helped her with her hair, piling it up in that messy-but-controlled sort of way, while Tallie had left her own golden locks down loose, a gentle wave in them from their swim. 

“Look at you two beauties. I knew I was right,” Mr. Hutt praised when the girls came to meet him in the lobby. “Come, meet your photographer. This is Mr. Fett. Mr. Fett, these are the two lovely ladies you’ll be shooting tomorrow, in the flesh.” 

Mr. Fett smirked at the girls, taking their proffered hands and brushing a kiss along the backs of them. Rey at least felt comforted when she noticed that Tallie looked just uncomfortable about this as she did. Safety in numbers, she recalled. 

“Let’s get going to dinner,” Leke suggested, smiling brightly as she placed her hands around Mr. Fett’s shoulders and led him away. 

Tallie held Rey’s hand and they nodded to each other. They’d be fine. Twi and Leke seemed incredibly protective, like their eyes did not miss a thing, and they wouldn’t suffer any harassment from either the designer or the photographer. 

They could not, however, stop either man from making lewd comments all night long. Mr. Hutt droned on and on about the girls he’d had in the past, about how he hated designing for men and having them involved in anything with his line because they “distracted from the good stuff”. Mr. Fett agreed that when shooting men, there just wasn’t anything  _ good  _ to focus on. Twi, smartly, responded to that with “the product.” There was a tense moment of silence as Twi and Leke stared the two down, waiting to be challenged, while Rey and Tallie feared retribution. Mr. Hutt laughed, however, and the evening continued on. 

The girls woke up at 4:00 AM and were shipped off to hair and makeup sleepy eyed and fueled only by the coffee pressed into their hands by kind assistants. The shoot would have some sunrise and sunset shots, balancing the soft with the sexy. As Mr. Hutt came down to examine them, he made a leering comment about making sure they were waxed and ready. Leke reminded him that they were professional models and shooed him out of the tent. 

For the softness of morning, the girls were dressed in soft pastels and frills. Rey was dressed in a pale blue off-the-shoulders bikini that was all a ruffle around her arms and bust, helping give the illusion of larger breasts than what she really had. Her bottoms were simple and standard and didn’t show off too much of her butt, which made her feel comfortable. Tallie’s light pink suit had a similar top, but her bottoms were high waisted with her hips on full display through the cuts in the side. Waterproof mascara was applied and lipsticks were sealed and they were ready to go. 

Tallie was shot first and she bravely drove straight into the waves, knowing she just needed to get it over with. She held her composure as she came out of the cold morning water, standing in it at just above her knee level as she posed for Mr. Fett. Rey watched with rapt fascination as Tallie commanded her set, exuding soft seduction and gentle femininity as she posturated in front of the rising sun. She laid in the surf and the sand, every frame completely useable, a true testament to her skills. 

When Mr. Hutt declared that the shot was had, Leke came forward with a towel to wrap Tallie in and she finally let loose her shivers. She was laughing, though, and the rising sun was making things warmer. She’d have some time to dry off before she and Rey were shot together. 

“You’re up, sweets,” Tallie said as she passed Rey, holding her towel close. 

Rey nodded and hopped off her chair, heading out further onto the beach. 

“Go ahead and get good and wet for me, Rey,” Mr. Fett instructed. 

Rey raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything else. It wasn’t exactly the weirdest request considering what they were doing, and it was her own fault for it sounding dirty in her mind. She moved into the waves, not quite as bold as Tallie was, and got about waist deep when she just sunk down to her knees and got herself completely drenched. Coming back to standing, she heard Mr. Fett ask her to look over her shoulder at him. She tried a handful of sweet and coy expressions, raising and lowering her shoulder to her chin, twisting her torso more and then less. She turned back around fully and slowly approaching him, looking down at the water or out to the shore. Once she reached the beach, she laid out on the sand and he took shots of her from above. The sun wasn’t too high yet and it wasn’t too sunny, but she still brought a hand up to shield her eyes in a few shots. Just before she was done, she rolled onto her stomach and pushed up onto her elbows, holding her shoulders back so that the top was on display in the shots. Both Mr. Hutt and Mr. Fett sounded pleased with her shots and Tallie was called for again. 

Their pairs shoot took place amongst the treeline, the girls draping themselves among the tropical trees. Mr. Fett didn’t move like Kylo did, nor did he really communicate with the girls much. He held his own pose pretty steady for much of the shoot and only crouched down once in a while. Rey was surprised he wasn’t more energetic, especially given how he had been last night. Then again, she supposed it was alright if he wasn’t trying to harass them anymore. 

The second shoot took place a little closer to the afternoon. Dressed to match once again in suits featuring scalloped edges, Rey’s was olive green and had a halter top, both her top and her bottoms showcasing the in-trend feature. Tallie’s was a strapless bandeau in navy blue, her bottoms the same, and the girls posed together first this time, laying out in a rowboat tied to the shore. They were draped parallel to each other, sitting on opposite ends of their benches with their legs sticking out to the sides. They giggled a bit in some shots or pierced the lense with sweet seduction. When the waves finally threatened to dislodge them, the girls sat up and moved to sit on a single bench, sitting back to back or side by side. All the while Mr. Fett snapped pictures with the same general silence, although Rey was pretty sure she heard Mr. Hutt making satisfied grunts from not too far away.

She hoped they were just about the pictures and nothing more. 

Solo shots were done in the boat as well, Rey taking the chance to climb up on the bow for a few until the waves got too rough and she was almost pitched. As she tried to get down, she slipped and fell right into the water, hitting her head on the boat in the process. She blacked out before she remembered much else. 

_____________

When Rey came to, she was lying on a towel underneath the makeup and wardrobe tent, paramedics standing to one side of her while Tallie was on the phone at the other. 

“She just _ fell _ , Luke! She had to get stitches! No it’s--no, the back of her head. Well, they don’t think she should be in the water anymore. Well,  _ obviously, _ but I--what? No. What? No! I--oh! She’s awake! Shut up, I’ll call you back.” Tallie hung up and immediately fell to her knees. “Hey kiddo, how are you feeling?” 

Rey groaned, trying to sit up but immediately seeing spots instead, forcing her back down. “Did I drown a bit? My throat burns.” 

“Just a tiny bit. Our lovely photographer was too busy making sure you hadn’t splashed his camera to get you, but Twi moved like a rocket and got you out of there as quickly as she could. You have a pretty nasty gash and they used like ten stitches to get you back together. They’re recommending that you take the rest of the day off to rest, but Mr. Hutt is, like, way furious. Ass,” Tallie said, rolling her eyes. 

“I can finish the shoot,” Rey insisted, once again trying to sit up. 

“Rey, you shouldn’t push yourself! A contract isn’t worth it!” Tallie insisted. “Part of being a good model is knowing your limits and not pushing them, not just blindly doing whatever it takes to get the shot because you’re desperate to never make a negative connection. I learned that the hard way, okay? You need to rest.” 

“It’s just a few stitches, Tallie. I’ll be fine,” Rey insisted, even as she winced a bit. 

“You’re not doing anything until you at least get some food,” Twi said, coming up to them. She thanked the paramedics, Leke signing some paperwork for them as she led them away from the set. “We can assess how you feel after lunch. Hutt and Fett may be pissed that their timeline is thrown off, but we got Tallie’s shots in while you were being stitched up and you had some great ones before you fell. No worries.” 

“Thank you for what you did,” Rey said immediately. 

Twi smiled softly, offering her hand out to help Rey stand. She kept Rey steady, holding her from the elbow, and keeping a hand on her back to make sure the younger girl was still stable. “No problem. Someone’s gotta be looking out for you girls.” 

“Is that why you do this?” Rey asked. 

Twi looked stunned for a moment before a small smile crossed her face. “Yeah. My sister and I used to be models when we were your age and we decided that we wanted to see a change in how models were being handled by certain photographers.”

“That’s really noble of you,” Tallie said. “So often in this business there’s such a mentality of fend for yourself, screw everyone else.”  

“That’s the most unfortunate truth that there is,” Twi sighed, nodding. She led the girls into the nearby cabana where a small buffet had been set up for the models and crew. “Eat up, girls. Hutt wants to do some shots in the woods while we wait for the sunset, highlight some of the coverups he’s designed. Oh, and the boys will be arriving in a few hours for the sunset shots.”

“Boys?” Tallie echoed, excited. 

“Boys?” Rey asked at the same time, confused. “I thought Mr. Hutt didn’t like men in his campaigns.” 

Twi sighed and nodded at that. “After our discussion last night, he decided that the evening shots would be more sensual with the addition of “male props”. And Leke and I reminded him that sales of his menswear have been down in recent years since he began to focus solely on women. While he doesn’t exactly love designing and highlighting men, he does love money.” 

“Typical,” Tallie scoffed. She scooped some mixed melons onto her plate. “So he got some local talent?” 

Twi nodded, grabbing a grain roll. “Met with them a little while ago. They’re pretty cute. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to give you girls a tour of the island later on.” She winked at the girls then, grinning at a memory of being a model in their place.

“I believe our sweet little invalid here is rather taken at the moment, so it sounds like that’s more for me,” Tallie said excitedly. 

Twi’s mouth fell open in surprise. “Wait, so those rumors about you and Kylo Ren are real?” 

Rey blushed, grabbing some chicken smothered in what looked like a sweet sauce. “Yes.” 

“Oh my Maker, where is my sister? She’s going to  _ die! _ We’ve had crushes on him for ages! You’re so lucky!” Twi gushed, suddenly going from adult to teenager. “I bet he’s amazing. He’s just so...big!” Rey turned an even brighter shade of red and Twi clicked her tongue in disapproval at herself. “I’m so sorry, that was completely inappropriate of me. Please forgive me.” 

“No, it’s fine,” Rey said. She gave a small laugh. “It’s a pretty hot topic lately.” 

“ _ He’s  _ a hot topic,” Tallie added with a smirk. “And completely devoted to her. You should have seen how adorable he was at the Organa pop-up show. He looks at her like she’s his moon and his stars.” 

Rey gaped at Tallie, her breath stolen for a moment. “He--he does?” 

Twi sighed dreamily as the girls settled into a free table. “I wish someone would look at me like that. You’re a lucky girl, Niima.” 

Rey smiled softly, looking down at her plate. She conjured up Kylo in her mind, thinking of his sweet, soft eyes, of the little smirk that tugged on the corner on his lips whenever she turned to look at him. Maybe Tallie was right. Maybe he really did look at her like that. It filled her with such a pleasant warmth, a light-headedness that she was positive that had nothing to do with her injury. She ate with a dreamy smile on her face, thinking of Kylo, missing Kylo. She’d have to call him soon. 

__________

There were four male models who showed up after lunch. Tallie was absolutely over the moon, while Rey just smiled politely. She was here to model, not flirt. Besides, she had a perfectly good (boyfriend?) back at home. The guys were fun, at least, and she had to admit that watching the boys do their solo shots was fun. She made mental notes of things she thought would be helpful to pass on to Finn, especially now that he wasn’t an insufferable arsehole anymore. 

Rey was dressed in a black one piece for the sunset shoot, a scoop neck halter with a keyhole, her sides almost entirely exposed, at her waist and then crisscrossing straps up her hips. They had to mist her hair carefully to avoid the area of her injury, and she was made up with something of a smokey eye smudged by water and a dark plum lipstick. She and her two assigned male models waded until they were thigh-high, Rey turning to the side with the men on either side of her. She curled her downstage arm back around the neck of the one behind her and placed her hand on the chest of the one in front, the men staying politely still while she smouldered at the camera. She arched and leaned, rotating this way and that, and soon the guys moved in closer, placing their hands on her thigh or her arm, anywhere they weren’t covering the suit. They ended the shoot with her facing the camera, the sun peaking just over her shoulder as she dropped her chin and seduced the lense, her hip cocked and her arms slung around the shoulders of the boys, who were still standing in profile, staring down at her like she was their goddess and they were lucky to be in her atmosphere. 

“Okay,  _ now  _ I see what has Kylo all twitterpated about you. Damn, girl, you’re hot,” Tallie praised. She was dressed in a white one piece, cutouts from chest to navel as well as all down her side. They’re thrown her hair up in a messy ponytail, keeping the top loose so that strands would fall out as the wind blew. She looked dressed to kill, honestly, and the two men chosen to model with her looked more than appreciative of it. 

“Oh shit, you’re the model whose with Kylo Ren?” one of Rey’s guys asked. 

Rey blushed. “Um, yeah.” 

He sighed, his three buddies giving him apologetic looks. “Shit. I was going to see if you wanted to hang out tonight, but I guess you’re taken. Like taken, taken.”

“Hold on, I’m not property! Kylo doesn’t  _ own _ me,” Rey reminded him, immediately bristling. 

“Calm down! I just mean that he seems pretty devoted to you and I’m not the type of guy to make a move on someone who is in a relationship. If he was just fucking you, I’d shoot my shot, trust me, but from what I’ve heard, you’re not entertaining any new suitors any time soon,” he replied, holding his hands up in defense. 

“Oh. I’m sorry. I just--I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out so quickly,” Rey said, feeling incredibly sheepish. 

“Hey, don’t be. I mean, you’re a very pretty girl, Rey. Gorgeous, really. And, from what I’ve heard through the grapevine, you’re about to explode in this industry. I’d advise you to cultivate a thick skin so you survive it, but it seems like you’ve already got that covered. Plus, I’m pretty sure Mr. Ren will literally kill anyone who tries to cross you. I shot with him, once, and I was absolutely positive I was going to be murdered the moment I walked off that set. But they were the best shots of my career.” He leaned in towards Rey, adding in a stage-whisper, “Don’t tell Fett that.” 

Rey frowned. She knew that Kylo was scary. She’d shot with him too, after all. But he’d been so sweet to her this past week that she’d nearly forgotten about their initial meeting, about the way he’d glared at her from across the room and pointed out everything she was doing wrong. She’d felt raw and exposed and considerable rage, but even the brief glances she’d seen at the raw footage had been breathtaking. Bearing that in mind, however, she made a mental note to talk to Kylo about his treatment of models and to ask him to maybe tone the angry photographer vibe down. 

After Tallie’s shoot wrapped, Rey, Tallie, Twi, Leke, and the boys went out to explore the island together. Two of the boys were native and made a point to take the girls to the best views and the most delicious restaurant. The evening was fun, but they’d left right from the shoot to the streets, Mr. Hutt instructing them to walk around in the suits to garner interest. He was at least kind enough to let Rey and Tallie wear one of the coverups from the tree shots, but they’d made good on the promise and took them off while they were walking through the more densely populated areas. Twi and Leke were at the ready with business cards to hand out, while Rey and Tallie posed and showed off the creations. It was fun, but it felt too much like work after a while and Rey was anxious to just be done so that she could go back to the hotel and rest. And call Kylo. 

It was close to midnight when the octet finally made their way back to the hotel, although Tallie was not quite done. 

“We don’t have to be to the airport until noon and checkout is at eleven. All I have to look forward to tomorrow is catching up on the sleep I’ll be missing tonight on the plane,” Tallie said, grinning devilishly. She’d taken a shining to one of the boys in particular, a model not much older than herself named Laszlo.

“And you’ll be safe?” Rey asked. She liked these boys, they seemed trustworthy, but she’d seen enough Unsolved Mysteries in her lifetime to be cautious. 

“I’ll text you every hour on the hour,  _ Mom, _ ” Tallie teased. “But yes, I’ll be safe. Now hurry on up to our room and call your boyfriend like I know you’ve been dying to do.”

“Is it that obvious?” Rey asked, wincing a bit. 

Tallie’s laugh filled the lobby, joyous and carefree. Rey really liked Tallie. 

“Have a good night, kiddo. I’ll see you later,” Tallie bid. 

Rey wasn’t planning on calling Kylo  _ immediately _ . She wanted to take some more painkillers and maybe a shower and then, once she was presentable, she’d call him. However, when she stepped into her room and grabbed her phone, she was both flattered and horrified to see that Kylo Ren had called her  _ sixteen  _ times. Fuck. 

She immediately threw herself down onto the bed and video called him, anxious. What was going on? He was sweet but he wasn’t stalker-clingy, so something must be wrong. 

“Rey! Jesus fuck, Rey, I’ve been worried  _ sick!” _ Kylo said the moment he answered.

Rey’s heart broke to see how worried he genuinely looked. “Worried? Why?” 

“Skywalker called me,” Kylo said. 

“Damnit, Luke,” Rey muttered. “I’m fine, Kylo. I just made a stupid decision and fell and bumped my head. It’s just a few stitches, I’m pretty sure I’ll make it.” 

“I’d feel better if you saw a doctor when you got back home. Would it be alright if I--my mother suggested that we pick you up from the airport and take you to our family physician. I’d like her to check out the stitches and make sure they were done properly and that you’ve not been exposed to any type of contagion. But only if you want to,” Kylo said.

Once more Rey’s heart broke to see him looking at her with this big, sad, amber puppy dog eyes. He was too damn attractive for his own good. 

“That’s very sweet of you, Kylo. If it’s not an imposition to anyone, I wouldn’t mind that. I trust the crew here, but peace of mind is nice, too,” Rey agreed. 

“Hutt and Fett didn’t try anything?” Kylo asked. 

“No, no. They’re a bit creepy and a little leery, but Twi and Leke are fantastic,” Rey replied. “Tallie and I have been very safe.”  

“Is she already passed out?” Kylo craned his neck, as if he’d suddenly get a better vantage point through the screen. 

“Oh, no. She’s not here. There were male models at the shoot and she’s off with one right now,” Rey explained. 

“Hutt hired boys, eh? No doubt the work of the sisters, I’m sure. He needs to learn that sex sells to both sexes, and girls will stop for a man on a page just as much as a guy would for a woman,” Kylo nodded.

“They were nice. Apparently you shot with one in the past. He said you scared the shit out of him but the shots were great.” Rey sighed. “Kylo, you’ve  _ got  _ to find a better way of getting in touch with your models to get a great shot out of them rather than the fear factor.”

“I’d rather get in touch with you,” Kylo said lowly. 

Rey felt the heat shoot from her brain to her core and she squeezed her thighs together.

“That’s hardly fair, Kylo. I’m lightheaded enough as it is and then you say things like that,” Rey whimpered. 

“You’re right, you’re right. I’ll be good. It is a bit earlier in the relationship for something like that, anyway,” he said, smiling easily. 

Rey blushed harder. “I’m not a prude, Kylo. I can have--have cybersex with my boyfriend if  I want to.” 

His eyes darkened at that, a mischievous smirk touching his sinful lips. “Can you, now? Well, as much as said boyfriend would love seeing that, you are very right that you should abstain from any blood-rushing activities. I don’t want you to hurt yourself, Rey.” 

He’d said the last second so tenderly, so sincerely, and Rey visibly melted. 

“I promise I won’t. Even if I want to, I won’t. But maybe tomorrow, after we see your physician? Maybe I can show you how much I missed you?” she asked. 

He smiled softly at that. “If she says we may, then you better bet I’m going to tie you to my bed and have my way with you.” 

“Kylo!” she whined, squeezing her thighs tighter together. Her head was swimming and she knew it had more to do with his words than her head injury. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll be good, I promise. I’ll be whatever you want me to be. Non-sexually, of course,” he tacked on with a cheesy grin. 

“Just be you,” she said softly. “Kylo, I was wondering...can I, I mean, can I call you Ben?” 

He seemed entirely caught off guard by that, his jaw moving a few times before he closed it softly. He searched her eyes, a myriad of emotions dancing in them before he finally smiled, just the softest turns at the corner of his lips. 

“Yes, Rey. You may call me Ben,” he replied. 

Rey sighed happily. “Thank you.” 

“Can I watch you fall asleep, in the least creepy way possible?” he asked.

She laughed at that, quiet but sincere. “Sure.” 

She set her phone on the nightstand, curling on her side and facing him. She noticed that he’d seem to have done the same and her heart fluttered to perceive that it was like they were lying in bed together again. It felt happy, natural, and perfect. However…

“I should probably change. Do you mind?” she asked. 

“I’ll look away,” he promised. 

“I--I don’t want you to,” she admitted. 

And so the night ended, with one Rey Niima performing the first striptease of her life, and one Kylo Ren, dark eyes glued to a screen in a way that could only be perceived as reverence. Until her phone died, that was, and they both went to sleep, frustrated but somehow, in some way, peaceful.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really have no excuse except excessive writer's block. I'm experiencing that thing where I know EXACTLY where we're heading, but the journey there is a mystery to me. I have the first four pages of this chapter done literally immediately after posting the last one, I worked on it right away, and then they shut up and no one would talk to me. I think it's my fault for keeping Kylo out of the chapter for so long >.< I'm so, so, so sorry. I'm really hoping that now that things are progressing with these morons, it will run smoothly. Maybe. I really hope so. Because I miss you beautiful people and I'm so grateful to all of you who are still sticking with me for this journey. Thank you all. You have my eternal love <3 
> 
>  
> 
> [Rey's dinner dress](https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ml-monique-lhuillier-off-the-shoulder-lace-gown/4940126?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FWomen%2FClothing%2FDresses&color=white)   
>  [Tallie's dinner dress](https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ml-monique-lhuillier-tiered-lace-gown/4951954?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FWomen%2FClothing%2FDresses&color=black%20nude)
> 
> First Shoot:  
> [Rey](https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306641028&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524447168540&R=190491065975&P_name=Eberjey&N=306641028+4294904824&bmUID=mgCABay)  
> [Tallie](https://m.dhgate.com/product/2017-new-design-women-bikini-fashion-sexy/401041025.html)
> 
> Second Shoot:  
> [Rey](https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306641028&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446910207&R=816156021093&P_name=Marysia&N=306641028+4294904824&bmUID=mgCAB9F)  
> [Tallie](https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306641028&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446907599&R=856448005097&P_name=Marysia&N=306641028+4294904824&bmUID=mgCz9vE)
> 
> Third shoot:  
> [Rey](https://www.zappos.com/p/l-space-fire-tripp-one-piece-black/product/9097080/color/3)  
> [Tallie](http://www.swimhoney.com/one-piecestankini-swimwear/208834-women-s-solid-lace-up-hollow-out-one-piece-swimsuit.html)


	10. Finding a Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Tallie seek out presents for their friends; Rey has a turbulent flight.

With their flight not until evening the next day, as Mr. Hutt apparently wanted to make sure they had the shots before they left the island. However, the girls were technically free to do whatever they wanted unless called upon, so they were excited to enjoy some more of the tropics before heading back to Coruscant. Tallie had stumbled to bed sometime after 2AM, and the next morning at breakfast, she happily recounted her evening to Rey. Apparently, her date had promised to come to the city to see her next month. As the girls walked through the quaint town area, Rey hoped he would come through for Tallie. She deserved it. 

Rey drifted from shop to shop, looking for gifts for her friends and Ben. She found some sarongs for the girls, as well as some pretty jewelry made from polished volcanic rock. For Luke and Finn, she bought some beautiful art done by a local street vendor. As for Ben…

“What in the world do you buy your incredibly rich boyfriend who has literally been everywhere in the world?” Rey groaned as they searched yet another shop. 

“I mean, I can think of something, but you don’t buy it in a shop,” Tallie smirked.

“Maker, you’re as bad as Jessika! No wonder you two were roommates!” Rey laughed.

“She had to learn from  _ someone _ . Speaking of which, I wonder how things are going with her and Dameron. The SnapChat she sent last night was pretty...steamy,” Tallie wondered. 

Rey had also received the Snap. It featured what looked like a topless Jessika in a hot tub with Poe, mouth attached to his neck under a caption of ‘It’s cold outside but steamy up here’. She hadn’t even applied a filter, so Rey could only assume that it was sent in haste. Haste to do what, however...

“I just hope she didn’t have sex in a hot tub. I did  _ not _ teach her to do something as unsanitary as that,” Tallie pointed out. “As for your little problem, think about his house. Is there something that you feel like he’s lacking? Some trinket you think would stand out amongst everything else he has?” 

“He doesn’t really  _ do  _ trinkets, though. His apartment is beautiful, but it’s all very color coordinated and meticulously styled. He doesn’t even have a picture of his family anywhere,” Rey said. 

“So that’s what you need to get him,” Tallie said with a simple shrug. 

Rey furrowed her brow, looking back at the blonde. “A picture of his family?” 

“Close, kiddo. I mean you need to get him a nice framed picture of you,” Tallie explained. She smirked as she pulled Rey out of the shop they were in and down an alley. They came out on a tiny little beach, mostly palm frans rather than sand, and probably too many rocks to comfortably walk barefoot, but it was still quiet. “Perfect! This private beach will be an excellent setting. Strip down, kiddo. We’re doing something naughty.” 

Rey’s eyes bugged wide. “What do you mean, naughty?” 

“You don’t have to get  _ naked, _ Rey! Just...take off your shirt. And your bra. And your shorts. But we’ll leave the underwear on. We’ll do an over the shoulder shot,” Tallie instructed, already going for the camera app on her phone. 

“But it’s midday! The lighting is terrible! He’s criticize it,” she protested weakly. 

“Oh yeah, he’s  _ totally _ going to be looking at the lighting and the composition and all that shit when his hot, young, half-naked girlfriend is in the shot.  _ Strip, Niima! _ ” Tallie pressed. 

Rey didn’t really have an argument to that. Besides, it wasn’t like Tallie was wrong. A photo of her in St. Lucia was an excellent gift to give Ben, especially after their exchange last night. And she’d seen some pretty frames in the shop where she found the jewelry, and she was pretty sure there was an instant photo printer in the drug store they’d stopped in to grab some bottled water to combat the heat of the island.

Rey glanced around to make sure no one was watching and peeled off her shirts and her bra, lying them on top of her discarded shorts. She’d worn just plain white cotton panties today, but somehow, she knew that it would work. They looked brighter against her tan skin, shown off in the striped shade from the palm frans above. She crossed her arms protectively over her chest and did as Tallie instructed. 

“Okay, part your legs a bit. Good, good, now bend that knee. Your hip will pop and--yes, perfect! Damn, kiddo, you actually do have a really nice butt. Alright, look over your shoulder. No, the other shoulder. Yes! Okay, good! No, don’t look at me. Look--there! Yes!” Tallie smiled widely as she got the shot. “Damn, I’m good at this. I mean, my subject was pretty easy to work with, but I got a  _ great _ shot of you.” 

Rey was already re-dressing, pulling her shirt on before she clasped her bra. As soon as she was decent, she peeked at the photo. “Wow, Tallie. You really are good at this!”

“Thanks!” Tallie smiled proudly. “Alright, let’s get this printed and find a good frame. I’m actually sad I won’t be there when he gets it. You better text me an exact transcript of his praise, that I may then print out and show to every photographer who doesn’t want to work with me. Praise from the great Kylo Ren cannot be ignored. My evil plan will be complete!” 

Rey felt a strange sense of warmth pass through her at the knowledge that she’d been given permission to call him by his birth name last night. Even if Poe and his crew knew Ben’s secret, they still weren’t allowed to call him that to his face. That group of people were small in number, and now she was amongst them. She felt special to him, more than she had before. He definitely deserved this present. 

______

The girls were nice and warm by the time they taxied to the airport, having spent the rest of the day on the beach soaking up as much as she they could before they had to return to the Coruscant fall. As they moved to check in for their flight, they heard Twi calling out for them. 

“Oh good! I was hoping to catch you girls before you checked in. Mr. Hutt cancelled your flight. He wants you to come back with us on his jet,” Twi said, her sister on her heels. 

“He wants to be sure that Rey has enough space because of her injury,” Leke added. She looped her arm with Rey’s and grabbed her suitcase from her. 

“That’s really nice of him,” Rey said. She grabbed her phone from her bag and texted Ben about the change, getting the information from Leke about where they’d land and when as they walked to their new gate. 

Rey and Tallie had a great time SnapChatting and Instagramming their experience in the private waiting lounge, showing off every ridiculous luxury. Jessika and Paige commented their jealousies. Finn asked her to steal one of the decorative pine cones from a bowl (just because). Luke told her to have a safe flight. 

Ben, however? Ben told her to get used to the luxury, because she deserved it and he’d do all her could to ensure that she always had it. It was Tallie’s turn to be jealous as she looked over Rey’s shoulder at the message. She made Rey show it off to Twi and Leke, all of whom swooned. Mr. Hutt and Mr. Fett just looked up at them briefly from behind their computers, Mr. Fett rolling his eyes. 

When boarding time came, the girls were shown to their separate sleeping quarters. It was nearly 10 at night, at the flight would be four hours long, so they completely bypassed the seating area for the sleeping one. Rey closed the curtain around her area and slipped into her pyjamas, climbing into the (she supposed not-so) surprisingly soft little bed. She cozied down into the little pod, smiling at the comfort of it. Her pod was at the back of the sleeping area and she’d passed the wider one provided for Mr. Hutt. She couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to cuddle with Ben in one, maybe on a flight back from Milan or something. 

When the flight took off, the lights in the cabin dimmed. The gentle hum of flight reminded Rey of long car rides and she knew that she’d drift off to sleep in no time. Or else, she would have, if the curtain on her pod wouldn’t have suddenly been pulled back. She frowned and rolled over, only to see Mr. Hutt standing next to her pod, closing the curtain behind him. 

“Oh. Mr. Hutt. Did you--um--need something?” Rey asked, scrambling to sit up. Although she was dressed in a t-shirt and capri sweats, she held the sheet up to her chest. She could feel her heart thudding against her hand, but she willed herself to calm down. Nothing was happening here. He just wanted to talk to her. There was no way he’d try something on a plane with others nearby...right? 

“You did a good job this weekend, Miss Niima. I’m pleased to say that my instincts were correct about you,” Mr. Hutt said. 

“Oh...thanks,” Rey said, scooting back a bit further into her pod. 

“I know you attributed your new sense of sexual prowess to Mr. Ren, but I’d daresay that you came even more alive for me. I’d like to see how much more you could turn that energy on,” Mr. Hutt said, moving to kneel on her bed. 

Mr. Hutt’s weight caused Rey to be dislodged, her body falling closer to his. 

“Mr. Hutt, that’s--that’s really inappropriate,” Rey managed to gasp out.

“Is it?” Mr. Hutt asked, one meaty hand reaching out for her. 

Rey gasped and twitched away from him. “ _ Yes _ , it is!” 

Mr. Hutt chuckled, a low rumbling sound. “Kylo  _ Ren  _ could never make you feel like I can. He’s just a boy with a shitty reputation that hardly even has a kernel of truth.  _ My  _ reputation…”

“Says that you’re a sexual predator,” Rey immediately snapped. “And if you don’t get away from me, I’ll call the authorities the moment we land. And I can promise you that my  _ boyfriend _ won’t take too kindly to any of this, either. What with his  _ personal  _ knowledge about all of this.” 

Mr. Hutt sneered down at her, his hand flying out to grab at the collar of her shirt and jerk her forward. Rey suddenly hated the gentle hum of the plane, knowing that it was eating up most of the sounds they were making. Tallie was in the aisle across from her and she wasn’t sure where Twi and Leke were sleeping. What if Mr. Fett was in the pod next to hers? She had a feeling that he certainly wouldn’t help her if she needed it. 

“I’m not afraid of  _ Ben Solo _ or that Organa bitch,” he snarled down at her. 

“Well you should be afraid of their lawyers!” she snapped back, swatting his hand away. “Now leave me alone before I scream for the others. We can just pretend this never happened and continue being the professionals we are. Got it?” 

Mr. Hutt released her shirt and shoved her backwards, Rey having to act fast to catch herself with her arm. She was shaking with the duality of fear and rage as she watched him loom over her. He could overpower her so easily, she’d hardly be able to put up much of a struggle if he didn’t want her to. She watched as a slow smirk slid up his face, another low chuckle shaking his disgusting form. 

“We’ll see how you feel when he tosses you away, just like all the other whores. I won’t hold this against you. I’ll make you more famous than he ever can and give you more pleasure than he ever will. You’ll see,” Mr. Hutt said. 

Rey’s face twisted in revulsion. “And I’ll break your fingers, if not your cock. Leave. Me.  _ Alone!”  _

Seemingly unaffected by her threats, Mr. Hutt continued to chuckle as he climbed off her bed and slipped away. 

Immediately, Rey scrambled for her phone. Unsurprisingly, Ben answered after the second ring. 

“Hey, Rey. How’s your flight?” Ben asked. His low voice soothed her almost instantly, her rapidly beating heart changing to a semi-normal tempo. 

“Not good. Not good at all. Mr. Hutt--” she sighed, unsure how to explain what happened. 

The silence on the other end of the phone was so deft that it made Rey pull the phone from her ear to be certain that they hadn’t been disconnected. She hadn’t Facetimed with him because she was worried about how her face even looked right now in her fear and rage, but now she wished she had. 

She realized quickly, though, that it wasn’t silence. Through the hum of the turbines, she could hear deep breathing, at a quickening tempo. Now she was glad they hadn’t Facetimed. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to watch the rage blossom on  _ his _ face. 

“Where did he touch you, Rey?” came the dark growl of Ben Solo. 

“He--he didn’t get that far. He propositioned me and he grabbed me by my collar, but I threatened him and he backed off. I just--I’m so sorry, Ben. I should have listened to you. I’m so sorry,” Rey said, feeling tears beginning to well. 

“Hey, hey, no. Shhh, sweetheat, shhh,” Ben immediately soothed, the rage gone in an instant as he switched to soothing her. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Rey. He’s just a fucking jackass who still hasn’t learned his lesson. I’ll have the authorities waiting when you land, and he can finally go to jail, where he belongs.” 

“But he--he didn’t do anything. Not technically. He just--he--”

“He sexually harassed you, Rey. That’s an offense. He is currently your employer until you are off his plane, and he sexually harassed you.” He sighed heavily. “I’ve been looking into the legalities of the Hutt brand, and it turns out that the twins, combined, own 49% of the company. If Hutt goes to jail, it defaults to them. The campaign you just shot will still run and you’ll still be compensated for your work, as well as the legal compensation you’re going to get for his harassment.” 

“Ben, I don’t want to make a huge scene. That’s just going to be negative press for both of us. All of us. I just--I just want to stay on the phone with you until I can be with you again. Is that okay?” she asked, curling into the corner of her pod. She couldn’t face the wall anymore, though. She needed to watch her curtain, she needed to keep herself safe. 

“I’ll do whatever you want, Rey. You know that,” he said, his voice so soft and tender. He gave a soft chuckle. “I’ll even sing you to sleep, if you don’t mind my going off key here or there. You need to rest, sweetheart.” 

Rey smiled softly at that, feeling more of her tension and fear melt away as she allowed Ben and his voice to be her whole world. “I want to sleep in your arms, not on this plane.”

“Do you want me to take you back to my house, then, instead of Luke’s? You know you’re welcome to stay with me whenever you want. Everything I have is yours, Rey,” he declared lowly. 

“Oh, Ben,” she whispered, the tears that had threatened to spill before suddenly rearing their head for a different reason. “I don’t think I deserve you.” 

“Hardly, sweetheart. I’m far too much of an asshole to deserve an angel like you in my life. Since we’ve met--Rey--your name could not be more fitting. You are the sun of my life, the one thing that warms me and keeps me happy,” he confessed. 

Rey was suddenly thinking back to the thought she’d had on the flight there. How soon was too soon to fall in love with someone? If she read between the lines of Ben’s words just now, was he possibly confessing the same emotions? 

However, she hardly had the words to put her emotions as elegantly as Ben did, and she landed on sighing softly, happily. 

“You keep me happy, too, Ben. I’m still amazed you’d choose me when you could have anyone. You could have even had Jess,” she said. She hated that humor was her go-to when she was unsure of what to do, but Ben was semi-used to that by now. 

The light chuckle he rewarded her with was proof enough of that theory, at least. “Rey, sweetheart, I could hardly notice her when there was so much of  _ you _ to distract me. I wanted nothing more than to just cancel everyone else and focus on you for the whole weekend. You’re every photographer's dream, and as far as a boyfriend’s dream...you far exceed any I ever had.” 

If it was possible to swoon more, Rey would. 

“Maker, Ben. Where do you come up with this stuff?” she asked, sincere. 

“You do this to me. I used to be this hardened asshole with a reputation for being sour, and now I wax poetic about the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen who somehow, amazingly, wants to be in my arms. It’s incredible, really. Positively surreal,” he said. 

“Positively surreal, indeed.” She smiled fondly for a moment, content to enjoy the warmth his words gave her. “Tell me about your day, Ben. I want to hear every detail.”

Blissfully, Rey fell asleep to the sound of her boyfriend's voice.

__________

Mr. Hutt had wisely kept his distance when the plane landed and it was time to disboard. Tallie seemed to notice the change in Rey’s mood, and her perfectly sculpted brows furrowed in question. Rey shook her head, though, not needing to worry Tallie with anything, and they were the last off the plane. 

Where Ben Solo was waiting for her. 

Rey felt the whole world fall away as she practically sprinted forward, running past the whole group as she launched herself into his arms. She let out something of a sob and a cry of happiness, a feeling of utter happiness filling her as she was wrapped in his warmth and his scent. 

“Rey,” he rumbled into her ear, the sound vibrating through her own body. 

“Ben,” she replied, nuzzling further into him. 

“Don’t get mad,” he said quietly, holding her tighter. 

“What?” she asked, pulling away. 

“What the fuck? What’s the meaning of this? Don’t you know who I am?” Mr. Hutt was snapping as he was being handcuffed and pushed into the back of a discrete police SUV. “Twi, Leke, fix this shit!” 

The twins, however, remained silent as they turned their backs and approached the couple off to the side, Tallie at their heels. 

“About time,” Twi sighed. 

“We were moments away from kicking his ass when we overheard,” Leke explained. “But, damn girl, you handled yourself well.” 

“What happened?” Tallie asked, her voice pitched up in alarm. “Ew, did he try something? Disgusting pervert!” 

“What matters now is that he is finally getting what was due to him,” Leia Organa said, stepping out from the towncar behind Ben. “This should have never been swept under the rug in the first place, and I regret not taking this further. My parents did what they thought was right given the circumstances of the day, but there isn’t enough counseling in the world to prevent him from being a miserable, sad old man who lords his power over young women. I’ll happily drag my name and my brand through the media mud if it means finally putting an end to his reign.” 

“And we’re happy to rebrand our brand under the House of Organa umbrella,” Twi said. “The campaign we shot this weekend will be the first in the launch of it. Hutt didn’t even design those suits, we did. He’s long overdue for being overthrown.” 

“I’m sorry to have put you girls through that,” Leia said, looking at the models. “I know that it may seem like it was some sort of a trap or setup in retrospect, but I hope we can reassure you ladies that your boss and I had every hope that he would behave. We would never put you ladies in any type of danger.” 

Rey nodded. She hadn’t been thinking that, although the reassurance felt better. Not that she ever thought that Leia or Luke would do such a thing, especially now that she was dating Ben, but it was good to know. 

“Let’s get you to a doctor, Rey. Let’s get your stitches checked out,” Ben said, frowning down at the patch on her head. 

“A minute, Kylo?” Leke asked, gesturing for him to turn to her. 

Ben released Rey and turned to the twins, where they spoke in low tones with Leia. 

“I’ll see you later, then, kiddo,” Tallie said. She stepped in close and whispered, “and don’t forget to record his praise at my help in your gift, yeah?” 

Rey let out a laugh, blushing a bit as she said, “After he’s done appreciating it.” 

Tallie sighed. “You’re so lucky, Rey. I’ve seen that man level an entire crew with a single glance, but he looks at you like you’re the most important thing in his entire world.” With a giggle, she added, “so  _ maybe _ that whole love-thing isn’t too far off.” 

The confirmation of her own thoughts spoken by Tallie made them seem that much more real and Rey smiled. “Maybe.” 

“Ready to go?” Ben asked, turning back to her with a gentle smile. 

“Ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess monthly is my thing now. I'm sorry about that, guys. The sad truth is that about 95% of this was written all in one go a few weeks ago, but real life is rotten and got in the way of that last 5. The GOOD NEWS is that they are reunited and the Organa campaign is dropping soon. Yaaaassssss!!!
> 
> My readers are the best readers and I adore you all endlessly. Bless you all for sticking through this with me <3


	11. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick peek into the day of Kylo Ren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is NOT a nice chapter by any means, and there's some violence in it! Please skip if you're squeamish. It's nothing too brutal, but it's...well, let's just say that we really see Kylo Ren for the first time.

_ “You have twenty minutes, camera free.”  _

_ Kylo Ren nodded, thanking the officer solemnly as he slipped past him and into the dimly-lit room. It was almost  _ too _ stereotypical for the photographer: a room with a metal table and two chairs, a single fluorescent light up above and a “mirror” on the wall. But he wasn’t focused on that right now. No, what he was focused on was the fuck who was handcuffs to the table.  _

_ “So they’re lettin’ you in here, are they? Since when are you a detective?” Hutt sneered.  _

_ Kylo sat down at the table, setting his hot coffee off to the side.  _

_ “I’ve got plenty of friends in plenty of places,” Kylo shrugged, full of nonchalance.  _

_ Hutt sneered further, leaning back as much as he could in his chair. But the cuffs kept him close, which pleased Kylo, as that made his job all the easier. He had a task to accomplish, after all.  _

_ “What did you want then,  _ boy? _ Surely it shouldn’t have slighted you as much as it did to have your newest little whore hit on by a great man than you,” Hutt asked.  _

_ Kylo resisted the urge to clench his fist. Exploding in rage so soon did nothing for him. He had twenty minutes. Instead, he kept up a calm and cool expression. _

_ “Not everyone needs to resort to paying for affection, Hutt. Some of us obtain partners through legitimate means,” Kylo said.  _

_ Hutt chuckled at that, deep and dark. The effort of it shook his belly, knocking at the table a bit. Once more, Kylo resisted the urge to make a face.  _

_ “Legitimate, you say? Stop fooling yourself, boy. Everyone  _ knows _ how you obtained her. You’re no better than I am. You still used your power and influence over her to subdue her. You lured her to you, tricked her into seeing some alternate version of the person you  _ truly _ are, and it will end the same way as it always does. I know you type, Ren. I know what you’re going to do. You’re going to ruin that pretty little thing, wreck her like you have all of the others, and then she won’t be of any use to the rest of us,” Hutt taunted. _

_ This time, Kylo did clench his jaw a moment.  _

_ “Who I truly am? And how would you know? You don’t know me, Hutt. I’m not like you at all. I don’t just intimidate girls into my bed, threatening their careers if they don’t suck my cock. I will, however, threaten someone else.” He rose slowly, both hands planted firmly on the table. “However you believe my past is laid out, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that twice, now, you’ve threatened and intimidated women in my life who I care for, deeply.”  _

_ Again, Hutt snorted.  _

_ “Your mother, I’ll give you. The bitch did raise you, after all. But the girl? That skinny little model who will fade into obscurity the moment someone with better tits comes along? What the fuck could you find appealing about her on more than just a physical level? And even that, I was willing to overlook. There’s hardly anything th--!”  _

_ Hutt was cut off as Kylo reached out, his moves lightening fast despite his size. He captured two of Hutt’s fingers in his grasp and bent them, up. Kylo smirked as Hutt’s face contorted in pain, at the yowl that came out of his mouth as the bones beneath crackled and crunched. It was satisfying to cause this man pain who had caused the same of his mother, girlfriend, and countless others. Kylo knew he had a darker side, one that would probably terrify those he loved if only they knew the depth of it, but he kept it contained to moments like these.  _

_ “There’s more to Rey than you’d ever see, you miserable fucking slug. And I’m going to protect her from ever disgusting piece of trash like you. She’s  _ mine _ , understand?  _ Mine!”  _ Kylo snarled, crunching up the next set of two.  _

_ “You’re--fucking-- _ sick,  _ Ren!” Hutt managed to gasp out before breaking out into another shout of pain.  _

_ Kylo released his hand in a moment, pulling back abruptly. He stood ramrod-straight, the light from above casting an unforgiving shadow across his face, dark and dangerous.  _

_ “Perhaps I am. After all, I know how inherently wrong it is to lay claim upon another human being, but that does not make her any less mine. And I will protect what is mine, starting with making sure that pieces of shit like you understand not to fuck with her or anyone else who is mine. Do you get that, Hutt? Do you understand what I’m saying?” Kylo asked, glowering down at the man.  _

_ “She’ll find out,” Hutt said. “Everyone’s seen it. Everyone has watched you lose your pretty-boy shit on some nobody or another. You may think you can keep it from her, but she’ll know. She’ll see your rage one day and she’ll go. You can’t hold on to a girl like that, Ren. She’s too good for people like you and me.”  _

_ “I’m not like you!” Kylo snapped, lunging back in again. “I’m not a monster who preys on the weak! I’m merely a monster who fucks up the monsters who do!”  _

_ To prove his point, he grabbed his coffee and thrusted it forward, moving back just in time to avoid any splashback. He watched as that sense of satisfaction flooded through him to watch the other man scream and burn, the table screeching at it tried to move along with him but unable to.  _

Good,  _ the darkness in his mind purred.  _ Suffer like you’ve made others suffer. 

_ “If you get out of here, and that is a mighty big  _ if, _ I do not want to see you  _ near _ our world again. Stay the fuck away from Twi and Leke, stay away from my mother, and stay the fuck away from Rey. That is, if you can even see her after this,” Kylo said.  _

_ “You’re fucking sick! A fucking monster! Help! Help!” Hutt screamed, tugging so hard on his cuffs that he’d cut in.  _

_ “Go ahead and scream, Hutt. No one will come. No one gives a fuck about you. Now sit here and think about what you’ve achieved. All that fame and money, and all of the years of the people you’ve stepped on to get here. I hope it was worth it,” Kylo growled down.  _

_ He had meant to say more, but there was a buzzing on his wrist and a quick look down at it said that it was a text from Rey. He frowned at that, not having realized how quickly his time had gone by.  _

_ “I’ll see you at the trial, Hutt. Too bad you won’t be doing the same,” Kylo chuckled, giving a wave over his shoulder as he left behind the screaming man.  _

___________

Rey frowned when she woke up to any empty bed, followed by the realization that it was also an empty penthouse. She’d texted him immediately, chewing her lip as she waited for a response. He hadn’t left her, had he? After all, he’d  _ really _ liked his present. Liked it four times over, in fact. 

The sound of her phone ringing back her emit a tiny yelp of surprise, and she lunged for her phone. 

“Ben. Where are you?” she asked, concern laced through her voice. 

“Calm down, sweetheart. I just had to take care of some trash. I’ll be back up in just a moment. I got some donuts, if you want to get the island prepared?” Ben’s soothing timbre replied, gentle and caring. 

Rey sighed happily, relaxing back into the bed. He hadn’t left her. He had just gone out for a moment. She really needed to get a handle on her issues. 

“That sounds perfect. I’ll see you in a minute?” she asked. 

“I’ll see you soon, sweetheart,” he promised. 

Rey smiled as she slipped out of bed, sliding on what was now known as her bathrobe and padding out to the kitchen. Ben really was the best. She could no longer deny that she was head-over-heels in love with this kind and gentle man. She just needed to find the right time to tell him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's so short!!! It's just meant to be a tiny interlude because Ben HAD to have his own POV in there at least once, and I was helpless to resist. Now remind me not to mess with him!!!
> 
> We'll be back to our regularly-scheduled longness soon! I love you all!


	12. A (Maybe Not So) Pleasant Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey meets Ben and his coworkers for lunch and learns some things. Some things that she wanted to know, and some that she didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. So, so, so sorry. Just...I'm sorry >.<

On the chilly October morning the magazine dropped, Rey was curled up in her bed in her apartment, tucked beneath a quilt and a comforter to ward off the Coruscant chill. She'd somehow forgotten that it was  _ Vogue  _ day and that after today, her life would be altered once more. Instead, she happily slept in, as she didn't have any obligations this morning except for gym time and a lunch date with Ben. Jess, however, had a shoot that morning, and Paige had one that afternoon, so by the time Rey finally rolled out of bed, the apartment was empty. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she grabbed her phone, excited to see if Ben had already sent his ‘good morning’ text. 

It was there. Or at least, her phone said it was...buried beneath a barrage of Twitter and Instagram mentions and tags on Tumblr and Facebook. Her heart leapt from her chest as she remembered what day it was and she sat up fully, ready to dig in. There it was, her photos. And they were  _ breathtaking.  _ She could hardly recognize the face of herself and her friends, looking in awe at the shots that had been plastered all over the internet, well-done scans and near-blurry phone photos alike. Everyone was gushing over them and Mrs. Organa’s dresses and Ben's photos. She hardly saw the negative commentary (typically poking at their sizes one way or the other) as she scrolled and scrolled. 

A grin wide on her face, she closed them all and called Ben.

“ _ There’s  _ my Sleeping Beauty. I take it you awoke to your accolades?” the pleased voice of the man she loved greeted. 

“Ben, those photos are  _ stunning!  _ How did you--I can't believe that we--oh  _ Ben! _ ” she gushed. 

Ben's chuckle warmed her through to her soul. “I told you that you were perfection, Rey. Have you purchased your copy, yet? I have a few en route to my office.” 

Rey smiled to think of the shy and sweet Mitaka going around to newstands and bodegas to snatch up the work of his boss. 

“I was going to grab some on my way to lunch with you. Have you talked to your mom yet? Does she like the spread?” she asked. 

“Tickled pink. She was up before me, even, to brag about our shared achievement. She loves to celebrate the successes of our family from morning till night. You'll get used to it,” he said, a fond edge in his tone. 

She smiled even wider, if that was somehow possible. She'd get used to it. He wanted her around. He wanted her to feel like family. She needed to tell him today. 

“I have another surprise for you, by the way. You'll find out when you get here,” he continued. “Well, it isn't so much  _ for  _ you, but it's something you wanted. You'll...you'll see. You'll definitely like it, though.” 

Rey hummed in thought, wondering what that could be. She supposed she'd find out soon enough, though. It was already almost 10, and she had gym time soon. 

“How do your fellows feel about it?” Ben asked. “The spread?” 

“Oh, no one is home. Except Finn, I think,” she said. She wondered how he was going to react to seeing his first big spread for the high fashion magazine. 

“Why don't you go see? I've got to get back to work so that I can slip out to be with you longer,” he encouraged. “I'll see you later, sweetheart.”

“Okay. Bye,” she said, trying not to sound  _ too too  _ disappointed. Obviously he had work to do. He was always busy. But he was always making time for her and it made the space in her heart get bigger and bigger. He really cared for her. She really hoped he loved her, too. 

Taking Ben's advice to heart, Rey slipped on her gym clothes and headed over to the boys apartment. Nines answered the door, giving her something of a calculated once-over. The boys had yet to forgive her for the slight they thought she caused. She tried to give him a friendly smile and a wave, hoping he'd warm back up to her again. 

“Hiya, Nines. Is Finn home?” she asked. 

Nines sighed and stepped aside. “Yeah, he’s in there.” 

“Thanks, Nines!” Rey said, slipping past him. 

Finn was sitting on the couch, playing a game. He was dressed in gym clothes and she wondered if he had gym time scheduled now, too. It would be just like Luke to schedule them together so that they'd have to hang out. Luke seemed to enjoy being meddlesome at the most random of times.

“Hey! Have you seen it yet?” Rey asked, practically bouncing. She already had it pulled up on her phone. 

Finn grinned and moved over for her to sit down. “Yeah, I saw it when I got up. You ladies are a pretty big deal.”

She shoved at him, scrolling to one of his solo shots. He really  _ did  _ look like he had a cute connection with that rabbit. “Says  _ you!  _ Finn, you look so hot!”

Finn chuckled. “As much as I hate to say it, I have your boyfriend to thank for that. He really  _ is  _ insanely talented.” His expression softened and he gave her shoulder a gentle nudge with his. “You really came alive for him. Look at how gorgeous you look in these, Rey. You're finally  blossomed into the model we always knew you could be.” 

“ _ Gross! _ Should I tell your  _ girlfriend _ ?” Nines teased as he walked through. 

Rey looked at Finn with wide eyes. “A girlfriend? Since when!? Who, who, who?” 

“Rose Tico,” he muttered quietly, color high on his cheeks.

Rey practically leapt off the couch in her excitement. “ _ Seriously!?  _ Oh my god, Finn, that’s  _ amazing!  _ I am so happy for you two! How cute! Since when? Who came on to who? Details, Trooper,  _ details! _ ” 

Finn laughed, explaining the story to her about Rose had confessed her long-hidden feelings to him the night after the surprise show. She’d been trying to give him space, and she knew that he probably wouldn’t feel for her the same way, especially considering how hung up he was on Rey. Finn had wanted to be respectful of them all, however, and he suggested a few friendly dates, just to check for compatibility. The first, at a coffee shop, had been fun and he realized that he liked hanging out with her on a one-on-one basis. The second, at an arcade, had been even more fun, and he realized that they were better suited for each other than they thought. It wasn’t until the third, at a mid-price-range restaurant, that he realized how  _ much  _ he could grow to like her, and they’d been giving it a go ever since. 

“I’m so happy for you, Finn. Really. I mean, I sort of always suspected that Rose may have liked you, but it’s so good to hear that it worked out between you two,” Rey said, her excitement back down to a low simmer as peace washed over her. 

“Yeah, so far, so good. The only complaint I have is that sometimes, I have to hear Jessika and Poe, and…” Finn trailed off, wincing at the memory. 

Rey laughed at that. “Are those two official yet? I haven’t heard anything concrete.” 

Finn shrugged. “Who knows, with those two. They’re just having their fun. I’m sure the feels, if they’re there, will catch up to them eventually. It seems to be all of our destinies.” He looked away from her then, an awkward look crossing his face. “I’m sorry, again. For...for everything.” 

She smiled softly at him, giving his hand a squeeze. “Thank you, Finn. I’m just glad that we’re getting back to how we were. I missed my best friend.” 

“I missed you, too,” he smiled back. “Now, am I allowed to say that, holy shit, this picture of us is  _ hot!”  _

Finn turned his phone to show her the image that had been taken of them. It was a shot of Rey above Finn, her knees on either side of his hips as she knelt above him on the bed. She was kneeling straight up, her body turned towards the camera and the skirt draped over the side of the bed, showing off all of the beautiful cream beaded dress she’d been wearing, Finn’s bowtie hanging untied from her mouth, one of her hand up to . Finn was pressed up on his elbows and gazing up at her, his shirt open appealingly. He was looking up at Rey like she was a goddess while Rey...Rey was looking at the camera like she wanted to fuck the viewer, to  _ own  _ them, to dominate them. She was been looking at Kylo, no,  _ Ben,  _ like that.

She bit her lip, amazed that this was even her. “Holy shit, Finn. I--shit!” 

“You, babe, are  _ not _ shit. You’re going to be a star.”

* * *

 

Rey’s day went from great to fantastic from the moment she stepped out of the apartment building. She saw the way people did a double take as she walked through the swankier parts of town on her way to Ben’s office, she saw as they looked down at the tome in their hands and then back at her.  She’d be lying if she pretended that she hadn’t made sure she looked extra cute today, although that mostly had to do with going to go see Ben. She knew that he liked her with her face done up and her face completely bare (well, definitely more than her face for both, really) but it was part of her whole “working on her confidence” thing. 

She smiled at Mitaka as she strode into Ben’s office, handing him her usual gift: a venti black coffee, two ice cubes. She knew how hard he worked and she always wanted to give him a token of appreciation. Plus, it helped keep the relationship between them positive, thus ensuring that Mitaka always put her calls through no matter what Ben was doing. 

“You photograph almost as beautiful as you are, Miss Niima,” Mitaka praised her as he happily accepted her gift. 

Rey blushed. 

“Stop hitting on her, Doph. You know she’s spoken for,” Phasma teased as she stepped out of the office. “Hey there, kiddo. Congratulations on your first high fashion spread. You look spectacular in it.” 

“You’re all being too kind,” Rey said, a sheepish smile on her face. 

“No, they’re telling the truth,” Ben’s deep voice said as he came around Phasma. He swooped down to kiss Rey, a soft but lingering thing.

Rey melted into his kiss, her eyes instantly fluttering shut. It had taken her time to get comfortable with Ben’s public displays of affections, especially in his own office and in front of his own staff, but she wouldn’t dream of denying him the kisses he sought. She was thoroughly head over heels for him. He could kiss her any time he wanted to. 

“Hi,” she whispered as they parted. 

“Hello,” he replied, kissing her forehead before pulling away. “You’re truly perfection, Rey. Skywalker is probably ready to throw his phone across the room for a chance at peace and quiet after all the offers that are sure to be pouring in.” 

“The girls and Finn look fantastic, too. That shot of Paige in the barn is heavenly,” Rey quipped, needing to praise her friends, even if they weren’t here.

Ben smirked proudly at that. “That shoot was a wonderful collaboration of all of our talents.” 

Hux’s scoff could be heard from inside his office. “Can we get that on record, please?” 

Rey and Phasma both laughed. When Ben shot them both a look, Phasma brought a hand to her mouth to attempt to hide her giggles and Rey immediately gasped. 

“Gwen! Is that--!”

“Ah yes, your surprise,” Ben said, sliding an arm around Rey’s waist. 

Hux came out from the office now, joining the grouping in Mitaka’s area, even though it was rapidly becoming far too full. 

“We’re engaged!” Phasma announced happily, pulling in her fiance and giving him a big kiss on the cheek. 

“That’s incredible! Congratulations!” Rey cheered happily, giving Gwen a hug. She even gave Hux one, which he, shockingly, reciprocated. She had to chalk that one up to the duality of her dating his boss and his fiancee being so happy right now. 

“Yes, yes, it’s all very exciting. We’ll tell you the very non-thrilling story of it at lunch, which I’m  _ dying _ for. Shall we?” Hux scoffed, looking at them all with impatience. 

“Good god, Armitage, you just got engaged, not sentenced to death. Why not be happy for once?” Ben teased as he grabbed his coat Mitaka. 

“Says the Prince of Gloom himself,” Hux said, rolling his eyes. 

Rey, though, was too busy smiling as he tenderly helped Gwen into her coat. She’d always thought it was so endearing to see them together, to see the love between this glamazon woman and the sour ginger man. He never seem phased that she was so much taller than he, always looking up at her with utter adoration when he thought no one was looking. 

Just like Paige said that Ben did with her. 

Could--maybe Ben  _ was _ as gone as she was for this. 

The thought warmed her as they all walked down to a restaurant that looked across to the park. They walked confidently past those who were waiting, the hostess already holding four menus and leading them back to a room at the back. This back dining area was quieter than the main part, and the ceiling was glass, a rare opportunity to have sun streaming into a ground level business. Ben thanked the hostess as they were seated, helped Rey out of her coat as Hux helped Gwen, before handing them off. The ladies properly seated, the men settled down and Rey raised an expectant eyebrow. 

“Okay, so, tell me all about it,” Rey asked, already grinning. 

“It was wonderfully romantic. Almost cheesy, really. When we got home last night, he insisted that I go ahead of him, as he had supposedly forgotten to grab something from the drug store on our way home. So I went inside and began to get dinner ready, nothing unusual, when our cat, Millicent, comes jingling into the kitchen. Now, mind you, she doesn’t  _ jingle.  _ In fact, she has thrown a fit and ripped apart every collar we have ever attempted to put on her. So I was rather confused and I snatched her up, wondering how in the Earth Armitage had managed to wrestle a collar on her, and when. That’s when I saw that she was wearing a diamond tennis bracelet as a collar, and the jingling I’d heard was my engagement ring hitting a little collar tag that read ‘Will you marry me?’ So, of course, I began to bawl my eyes out and Millie freaked out and nearly clawed me to death. But who cares about bodily injury when you’re  _ engaged! _ I’m  _ engaged!”  _ Phasma announced, her voice loud and high. 

Several of the patrons around them look back at them, some with a smile, others with a sneer. 

Rey, meanwhile, was also crying. 

“Oh, that’s incredible! How sweet!” she cooed, clapping her hands happily. 

“I had no idea you had that type of romanticism in you, Hux,” Ben said, giving the man a smirk. 

“We can’t all seduce our girlfriends by pinning them down on beds in front of others. Some of us have to resort to simple measures,” Hux retorted. “Speaking of, Miss Niima, that was a  _ wonderful _ shot of you. I dare say that it will  _ inspire _ many a young gentleman to pay closer attention to fashion.” 

Rey burned scarlet. Ben, meanwhile, smirked wider as he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in to kiss her head. “And you told me that she had all of the appeal of a prepubescent boy.” 

Hux shrugged, unabashed at his words. “At the time, I thought it was true. I’m happy to be proven wrong.” 

“How about we stop talking about Rey like she’s not here, and instead focus on the fact that I’m going to be a  _ bride! _ ” Phasma said, grinning like an idiot. 

Rey was glad for the change of subject. Sure, she liked the praise, but she would much rather hear it from Ben, in private. 

“We’re thinking a spring wedding, for this spring, of course. Now Ben’s going to be best man, of course--” 

“I am?”

“He  _ is? _ ”

“Hush, Armie, you know you were going to ask him. But Ben, I should probably tell you know that Bazzie is going to be my maid of honor,” Phasma said, throwing a furtive look Ben before looking back at her menu. “Look at that, the eggs benedict looks wonderful--”

“Bazzie, Gwen? As in Bazine Netal, my--” Ben broke off, throwing his own guilty look at Rey. 

Rey frowned. Bazine Netal was a name that rang a bell, but she wasn’t entirely sure where that bell was ringing from…

“We’ve done all we could to respect you both these last few years, but she  _ is _ my best friend, Ben, even after--” Phasma sighed. “She’s already promised to behave. I told her all about Rey and she has promised to be good.” 

“As good as she’s capable of,” Hux scoffed, rolling his eyes. He looked at Rey. “Bazzie, as Gwen calls her, is Ben’s ex. You’ve seen her before, I’m sure. She’s that bitchy looking brunette who reps Grey Goose and Palpatine Diamonds and basically anything that a bitch would model for.” 

“Armie! She’s still my best friend!” Gwen snapped, swatting at his chest with the back of her hand. 

Rey’s eyes widened. She hardly needed any more hints than that. She’s seen the haughty looks of the beautiful model, with her perfect pout and seductive eyes. A pain stabbed into her heart to realize that Ben had dated her. She was a step down from someone as beautiful as Bazine Netal. Maybe he was just biding his time until…

“And she’s my  _ ex _ for a reason,” Ben added. He tightened his hold on Rey’s shoulders, leaning down to kiss her temple again. “She’s nothing to worry about, sweetheart. We dated when I was still young. She...she wasn’t the best influence on me.” 

“But she’s not like that anymore,” Gwen immediately defended. “We had a falling out when she and Ben broke up, because he made a lot of valid points about her, but that was the necessary slap in the face she needed to change her ways. She’s a lot better now. I mean, yes, she  _ does _ still model like a stuck up bitch, but I swear she’s not.” 

“Oh look, here she is,” Hux said as he opened up the very magazine that featured Rey, flipping immediately to an ad featuring the woman in question. 

Bazine was dressed in a form fitting black dress, long sleeved and tight, a plunging neckline to her waist and a slit up her right side, showing off a shapely calf. There was a thick silver choker around her neck and two heavy silver bracelets on her wrists, her eyebrows even done over in silver. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that pulled her pale skin taught with a matching silver cuff around it, her nose looking that much more pointy, her gaze looking that much more severe. She was  _ beautiful,  _ she oozed sex appeal like she’d never known anything else. Rey hardly needed to glance at the designers symbol to know that it was Chaaktil, a high end designer known for their sex and experimentation with lines. 

Ben just shrugged. “It’s a basic shot. They could have at least done some dramatic lighting to highlight the fabric of the dress. But black on a black background? I’d expect more.” 

Neither Hux nor Phasma could argue, as their own critical eyes were seeing the same. 

Rey couldn’t get over how gorgeous Ben’s ex-girlfriend was. And she was going to have to walk down and aisle with Ben, dance with him, even. It was close to the worst nightmare that she never realized that she’d had. 

“She looks very lovely,” Rey offered quietly. 

“She is,” Phasma said, “but so are you. I’m not trying to make this complicated for you two, I swear, but she is my best friend, and Ben is Armie’s, so I figured it was best that everyone know the plan from the start. Like I said, she promised to behave. She even texted me this morning when the magazine came out to compliment you, Rey.” 

Rey would pay to see what those texts said, but instead she offered a carefree smile. “There is nothing more important on your wedding day than your happiness, Gwen. I’ll get over my jealousy, I promise.” 

“You’re too sweet, kiddo,” Gwen said, smiling at the girl. 

“Where is our waiter?” Hux asked, turning to look. 

“I definitely need a drink,” Ben agreed quietly. 

Rey was still fixated on the image left open on the table. 

Ben, though, reached over and flipped it to the shot of her with Leia. They’d chosen the shot where she’d been standing at Leia’s side and draped her side over the back of the chair, her form long and beautiful, her skin peeking through so tantalizingly through that beautiful midnight dress. 

“ _ That’s _ my girlfriend,” he whispered lowly in her ear. 

Rey definitely loved him.

* * *

 

They parted from Hux and Phas after lunch was through, the newly engaged couple heading back to the office while Ben walked her across to the park for a midday walk. Rey momentarily mourned the loss of the horse drawn carriage rides, wishing for such a romantic moment with her boyfriend, but she was glad to the horses were finally free to live far healthier lives. A loud and noisy city where they were forced to overwork was not at all a good atmosphere for the sweet gentle beasts. 

They walked in relative silence, enjoying the bright autumn sun accompanied by the brief, brisk whips of wind. As they walked through one of the busier sections of the park, she noticed immediately that there was a group of teenage girls huddled together over their own copies of  _ Vogue.  _ She drifted closer to them on instinct, curious what pages they were looking at. They seemed to notice her right away, though, and they immediately broke into a twitter. 

“Oh my god, isn’t this you?” 

“It is her!”

“Huh, she’s not as pretty in person.”

“Fuck you, you’re just jealous.”

“Wow, a real, live top model!” 

“Do you know Tyra Banks?” 

“Hey, aren’t you Kylo Ren?” 

“Shit, he  _ is _ a pretty in person.”

Rey looked up at Ben in shocked silence. Was this seriously what this could be like? 

Ben smirked down at her and gave her a nudge of encouragement. 

“Um, yeah, hi. I’m Rey,” she said. “And no, I don’t know Tyra Banks.” 

“I’ll have to introduce you. She’s very lovely, if a bit out there sometimes,” Ben said to her. 

“Oh my  _ god! _ The rumors were true! Rey Niima  _ is _ dating Kylo Ren! I’m, like, your biggest fan, Mr. Ren!” one of the girls gushed, immediately pushing through the ranks of her friends to stare up at him.

“That’s too kind of you,” Ben rumbled gently, giving the girl a kind nod. 

That sent them all into a fit of giggles. 

When Rey glanced up at him, she noticed that there seemed to be a shift in him. His tone was different, his eyes looked different. He looked like...Kylo Ren again, not Ben Solo. She wondered how he did that? She couldn’t even pinpoint what it was that had changed, but it was definitely something. 

“Oh wow, Kylo Ren spoke to us!” one of the girls fawned. 

“I knew he wasn’t an asshole like all those blogs said,” the one next to her whispered. 

Ben--Kylo--chuckled. “I could be, but never to young women like yourselves.” 

“Oh--my-- _ God!”  _ They all screamed excitedly. 

Only one still looked like she had maintained her sanity. She rolled her eyes at her friends and held out her magazine and a pen at Rey. “Can I get your autographs?” 

“My--really? You want my autograph?” Rey gasped, taking the objects carefully. 

“You’re  _ incredible! _ ” the girl replied with an eager nod. 

“Oh wow, sure, yes!”

* * *

 

“You handled that well, sweetheart. Fame becomes you,” Ben praised as they made their way back to his office. 

“You...you were different,” Rey said. 

Ben sighed, nodding. “They expect Kylo Ren, so I give them Kylo Ren. They read about me in blogs, just like you did, and expect me to be a certain way, so I try not to disappoint.” 

“You sounded like you were seducing teenagers, not snapping at them like you did with us,” she grumbled, kicking the ground a bit. 

He chuckled at that. “They expect me to be the suave womanizer that they read about. Wouldn’t it be disappointing if they discovered that I’m not like that?” 

“It was a  _ pleasant _ surprise that you weren’t really an arsehole,” she reminded him. It was why she’d decided to do any of this with him, after all. 

“I hardly even took notice of them, sweetheart. I only have eyes for one girl,” he promised, dipping down to nose at her ear, his lips ghosting along her jawline. “They’re not expecting me back at the office for another hour, you know.” 

“Oh?” she shivered. 

“You photograph so beautifully, baby. Seeing you in print is further proof of what I see everything I look at you.” He slid the hand on her waist up, palming her ribs, his thumb just barely brushing beneath her breast. “The most beautiful woman in the world.” 

“Ben,” she whispered, excited but turned on. His office building loomed ahead, only a few paces away. “Ben, we’re too far from your house.” 

“We can get creative,” he whispered, his hot breath in her ear giving her shiver. “I have access to a private elevator.” 

Rey gasped. Could she really have sex in an elevator? 

Yes, it turned out, she could. 

Ben hardly waited for the doors to slide shut before he was on her, his lips and tongue on her neck, one hand ripping down her leggings while the other pushing up and under her shirt. She was left to gasp and pant as he lifted her and placed her on cold, gold handrail, holding her securely around the waist as he used his free hand to undo his own pants, his lips never leaving her skin. 

“Be--Ben!” she gasped as he quickly sheathed inside her waiting body. She couldn’t believe how wet and ready she was for him, how much he turned her on with so few words. She wrapped her legs around his hips to keep herself better anchored, her hands digging into his shirt as he pounded up into her. His own hands were gripping her hips, holding her securely. 

There was something different about this, though. There seemed to be something desperate in the way he pumped into her, in how he grunted and growled against the crook of her neck. It felt almost...possessive. He kept sucking at her neck, his hands felt like they were trying to bruise. It was like he was trying to leave a mark on her. 

“Ben?” she tried to ask, even as she squeaked in pleasure. 

“Come for me, baby. Fuck,  _ please,  _ come for me. I need to feel it,” he growled in response, tilting her hips at a different angle so that he could slam into her at a more desired angle. 

She cried out at that, feeling his hard cock dragging against her g-spot over and over again. She tightened her legs around his waist, her head falling back against the elevator wall as her vision began to blur. 

“Ben! Fuck, baby, fuck!” she cried out. She clung to his shoulders, feeling her body beginning to bear down. 

“That’s it, baby. Come for me. Show me how good I make you feel. Show me how you’re  _ mine,” _ he commanded gruffly. 

“I-- _ ah~!”  _ she sang out. 

She felt Ben follow her along only moments later. 

He kissed her tenderly, his thumb soothing any skin he could have possibly irritated as he helped put her back together. 

“Are you alright, sweetheart? Was that too hard?” he asked softly, his voice back to sweetness. 

Rey blinked as she came back to Earth. It was like earlier, when she’d seen him switch from Ben to Kylo. The man fucking her had been Kylo, but this, this was Ben. 

“I--I’m--I’m okay,” she panted. 

He kissed the tip of her nose as he helped slide her leggings back into place. As the door announced their arrival, he lifted her into his arms. He hardly looked flushed, nothing about his countenance revealing that he’d just fucked his girlfriend good and hard and filled her full of his come. He carried her down an unfamiliar hall, the silence of it allowing her time to think. 

“Are  _ you _ okay?” she asked. As she gazed up at him, she realized that something was off. There was a smattering of small, angry red marks just below his ear and she reached out to touch them.  “Ben, what’s th--oh, sorry!” 

“Ahh--I’m--fine. It’s fine, Rey. Don’t worry about it,” Ben said, working through his hiss of pain. He turned a corner and Rey finally recognized the area. They were almost to his office, she knew. “It’s just a splash burn from shaving. It’s nothing to worry about,” he soothed in a calmer voice. 

“How haven’t I noticed it before?” she asked, worrying her lip with her teeth. 

He chuckled and Rey sighed to feel it vibrate through her body as well, pressed as she was to his chest. She would have argued that he should set her down, if only this wasn’t keeping his come from sliding down her legs.

“I think I keep you pretty distracted when I want to,” he teased with a smirk. 

As he brought her to the ladies room outside his office to clean, Rey wondered what else he’d tried to distract her from in the past. 


	13. Words of Reassurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Rey talk business, Rey goes out to celebrate and meets a touch of reality; Rey and Ben have The Talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year <3 <3 <3 I hope you all like the treat I have in store for you today!

Rey poured over the magazine as she rode the subway home, delighting in the photos that had been chosen. It was like looking into some strange sort of time machine to remember how much had changed since the photos had been taken, even though she knew the time was minimal. As she looked at the first group shot, she couldn’t help but notice the anger in her eyes. She’d just been chastised, she knew, and it shone through her eyes. But she liked it. It was like she had a secret, one that was revealed as the shots progressed. She practically drooled over everyone’s solo and duo shots, watching the story unfold. She knew that even if she hadn’t known what the story was, she’d known just by looking at the massive spread. 

There were tidbits on the sides of the pages, little blurbs about Leia’s process and her inspiration for the collection. Her responses seemed vague, up until the final page, with the picture of the two of them together. All it said, written above Rey, was “Her”. If Rey hadn’t already cried out how amazing Leia made her feel, that would have done her in. Okay, it still did, but she only blubbered a moment. She thanked the Maker that no one ever thought to approach a crying girl on the subway, although she did notice two twenty-something women holding the magazine and looking at her curiously after her happy tears subsided. 

When she came out of the subway, she immediately saw a text from Luke, asking that she come to his office ASAP. Luckily, she was already heading home, so she just sent him an affirmation and jogged her way to their building. 

“My phone has been going  _ crazy _ over you kids today, but  _ you,  _ little miss, have been the star attraction. Everyone wants to see Leia Organa’s inspiration for themselves. I have bookings for you from now until the end of next year. You’ve done it, kid. You’re about to be launched to the top,” Luke said, grinning at her from beneath his gruff. 

Rey could just blink. “You’re...you’re joking, right?” 

Luke turned around his massive calendar pad, showing off the hastily scribbled notes all over it in what he called Rey Royal Blue (there was also Paige Purple, Finn Fern, and Tallie Teal, to name a few) He flipped through the pages, showing off just how far she’d been booked. She even outbooked Tallie! 

Feeling lightheaded by the sheer number of blue, Rey stumbled back into a chair. “All those people want me? Luke, there’s designers from all over the world on there.” She hadn’t missed the names of the French or Thai designers, the Chinese and Australian. 

“Your passport is still valid,” Luke reminded her. 

“Have you told the others?” she asked quietly. 

Luke frowned at her. “Hey, don’t go feeling too badly about your success, kiddo. There’s quite a lot of bookings being called in for the other three, too. They just didn’t get the distinction of being called my sister’s inspiration, so you can imagine how that is resonating throughout the community. Everyone is always looking for the next “It” girl, and someone  _ had _ to dethrone the daughter of a certain family that we dare not name in this household.” 

Rey blanched at the thought. Top models, the  _ top _ of the top, hang out with movie stars and music artists, going on insane vacations in between raking in upwards of $10 million a year. How in the world did anyone think she was good enough to go from catalogue to  _ that _ ? 

“Just remember to keep it under wraps who everyone is, okay? What with me and my sister and Ben and all of that. I’ve seen the negative press you got merely being “Kylo Ren’s Girlfriend” and we don’t need the world thinking that you only got where you got because of who you’re sleeping with and who he is related to. But remember that even  _ if _ they find out, they can all go fuck themselves. Everyone has to be noticed by someone, so why not someone who cares about you,” he said, a fierceness in his blue eyes as he pointed the finger of “you-better-listen-to-me” at her. “Just...wait until you have a few campaigns underway first, yeah? So that they know that you have some real talent.”

She nodded, feeling slightly better at that. She had been wondering what would happen if and when that came to light. It was only a matter of time before someone made the connection between them all, especially since so many in the fashion industry already knew. What if Hutt wanted revenge? He could so easily let that slip to the press and try to drag them all down.

“And hey, try not to feel  _ too _ bad for the others. Adidas wants to see Finn and Jessika, too, so you’re all getting a nice big paycheck from this,” he said. “Shit, there’s an email from Covergirl for Paige. See, everyone’s getting noticed.” He sighed then, muttering quietly, “I guess I have to take Leia out now.” 

“I think we  _ all  _ need to take her out.” 

“The opposite it about to be true. She wants us all to come to Sunday brunch. Normally, I would find some excuse to skip, since I know how extra my sister can be with something as seemingly simple as brunch, but, hey, she’s earned it,” he said, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. 

“Who all is us?” she asked. 

“Your boyfriend is also going to be there,” he replied, rolling his eyes dramatically. “As will the rest of the crew from the shoot. She wants to celebrate the spread.” 

“I owe literally everything to you two, so you can count me in,” she grinned in response. 

“Go shower up, kid. You have a fitting tomorrow afternoon for a show in two weeks. You’re going to want to get a lot of rest: your schedule is about to become very jam packed.”

* * *

 

That evening, Rey went out with Jessika, Paige, and Finn to celebrate their first high fashion spread. The girls donned their cutest little black dresses (Rey chose one with a turtleneck to avoid questions about the marks on her neck from Ben) while Finn dressed in his nicest slacks and button-up and they headed out to whatever restaurant didn’t have too long of a wait. They didn’t care that they ended up at what was essentially a dive bar where they were far too overdressed, they had success to celebrate! They took a copious amount of pictures, each having seen a dramatic upkick in followers on their social media. They were smart enough to leave off any tags about their location for now, not quite sure that their new fame could mean to anyone curious enough to seek them out. Better safe than sorry. 

“To us: the hottest of the hot!” Jessika professed as they held the first of their drinks aloft (virgin, as always, on Rey’s end). They all clinked to that, laughing before swallowing down. “I couldn’t believe how many calendar notifications I got today! We are about to be busting out of those cramped old apartments and living large!” 

Paige frowned down at her glass. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” 

Rey reached out for her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Don’t you want a room all to yourself?” 

Being a foster kid, it was all Rey had ever dreamed of: a space truly her own. While she absolutely loved turning her apartment with Jessika and Paige into their own little space, she had to admit that it was rather heavy on the  _ little  _ part and it would feel nice to be able to just have space, to be able to spread out. Kind of like how she could at Ben’s penthouse...but she wouldn’t presume something like that so soon. 

“I’ve always shared. First with Rose as kids and then with you girls. It would be kind of weird to not have roommates,” Paige admitted softly. 

“Awww, Paigey! We’re not going anywhere just yet!” Jessika cooed, leaning her head on Paige’s shoulder. “We gotta get that cash money first, and  _ then _ we can pick out swanky penthouses, together! We’ll be neighbors.” 

Paige smirked and rolled her eyes. She held her glass up. “Alright, then. To being swanky penthouse living neighbors.” 

“Here, here!” Finn and Rey cheered, glasses all clinking once more. 

“When is the Tinue by Organa campaign due to hit?” Finn asked after they ordered the next round. 

“Mid-February, I think, right around Fall Fashion Week. You know, just in time for spring, because retail always must be three months ahead,” Rey replied. Retail was three months ahead which meant that, typically, fashion was six months ahead. It was a bit disorienting going from a summer shoot to the cold of winter outside, but that was fashion. 

“Have you heard anything about what’s going on with Hutt?” Paige asked. 

They hadn’t been pleased when Rey came home with her report about how the shoot had gone. It was never easy hearing that a friend had been preyed upon, but they were at least glad to hear that her would-be abuser was already locked up. 

Rey shook her head. “I gave a written statement to the police, but asked to be left out of the hearings. There is enough evidence against him from the past without needing me there as well.” 

Leia, she knew, was going to testify. Ben had said that she regretted not doing it sooner and hoped that the public would catch wind, to make it known that this type of behavior was not acceptable in any industry, but least of all theirs. Rey wanted to show the woman her support, but Leia agreed that it was for the best that Rey stay away, knowing how fresh her wounds were. She at least knew that the trail was going to happen within the week, but she didn’t care to know much more beyond that. Hutt was going to get his long overdue punishment and there was nothing more to think about on the matter. 

“I’m just glad it will still run, and without the taint of his name on it. Motherfucking pig,” Jessika grumbled, her lip curling in disgust. 

“I’m honestly surprised that Ms. Organa hadn’t branched into that realm sooner,” Paige added. 

“Maybe she’ll be doing bridal next,” Jessika said, smirking now at Rey. 

“Why, so she can dress you for yours, Mrs. Dameron?” Rey shot right back. 

“I think we’ll have a Mrs. Trooper before a Mrs. Dameron,” Paige interjected, sliding a sly glance at Finn. “I hear you’ve been wooing my sister extra hard lately. If you hurt my baby sister…” 

“I know, I know!” Finn said, holding his hands up in defense. He smiled softly as he lowered them. “We’re just dating, nothing too serious. But I promise to do my best to treat her right. She deserves the best. You  _ all  _ deserve the best.” 

“To deserving the best,” Rey said, raising their newly delivered second round.

They could all happily drink to that. 

A notification alerted Rey to her phone, even though it was sitting face down on the table. They had a rule about being on their phones when out together, but everyone understood the need to check in case of emergencies. She took advantage of the fact that Finn and Jessika were discussing the possibility of the Adidas contract to peek at her phone, noting that it was message letting her know that Luke added five more events to her calendar. 

“You sure are getting booked up,” Paige commented quietly. 

Rey immediately flipped her phone back down. “I’m--um--I guess.” 

“No, don’t be--I--” Paige sighed, “I’m happy for you, I am. It’s just...it’s sort of hard not to think about the fact that you’re about to rise up above us all. You have now been named Leia Organa’s muse in both a show and in print. That’s massive news, a really big deal. And I  _ know _ you got it on your own merit. I mean, I was there, I saw it all unfold before you and Mr. Ren ever--” 

Rey jolted back. Luke had warned her and she’d already been thinking about it, but it was hard not to feel a stab of pain in her heart to hear the first hint of, what, jealousy? From her own friend. 

“No, no, I’m so sorry, this is coming out all wrong. Please don’t flip out, Rey. You  _ know _ how happy I am for you, about all of this. You know that. Right?” Paige asked. It was her turn to hold Rey’s hand in comfort now, looking at her imploringly with large sable eyes. 

“I--yeah,” Rey replied quietly. Although she wasn’t sure if she was sure anymore. 

Paige gave an uneasy laugh. “I’m just jealous, you know? I am adult enough to admit that. But please, never think that my jealousy means that I think you don’t deserve any of this, because that isn’t true.” 

“Fuck, are we talking about how jealous we are that our little hottie is about to shoot up, because if so, I’m going to need a few more drinks to get through all of that,” Jessika piped in. 

“Oh Maker, you, too?” Rey gasped. 

“Oh, babe, I’m  _ burning _ with it over here. When I met with Luke after my thing today, I saw all that blue on his calendar. I’m happy for you, believe that, but I’m also dying a bit on the inside that it wasn’t me who got to be the muse. I mean, sure, it hurts a lot knowing that Luke is apparently showing you off to his sister like a proud father or something like that, and maybe it would be cool if she saw herself in, like, Paige or I instead of you, but what are you gonna do about it?” Jessika shrugged easily. 

“Jess, that’s not--” Finn began, a furrow deep in his brow as he began to rise to the defense of his bestie. 

Jessika held up a manicured hand, silencing him. “Am I hating on her? No. I  _ love  _ the lucky bitch. She’s like a sister to me, and sisters get jealous of each other. It’s natural. And Paigey and I would be lying to her if we pretended like we weren’t. That is a disservice to our friendship if we aren’t honest, don’t you think? We should just get it out in the open right here and now that it stings to know that we aren’t the Chosen One. But we are  _ not _ , in  _ any _ way, shape, or form, knocking our girl for her success. We can be proud and jealous at the same time.” 

Paige nodded. “I think what Jess is trying to say in less elegant terms is that we wish we were finding your same success, but we don’t begrudge that of you.” 

“Yeah. I mean, I didn’t hate on Tallie when she rose up and left us behind, and I won’t hate on you, either. This industry is always trying to pit us against each other and that’s bullshit. I am allowed to be both proud of the beautiful butterfly you’ve become and pissy that I’m still in my cocoon. But that’s the beauty of it all, right? Paigey and I are still in our cocoons, waiting to emerge like you did. And we will.  _  Especially _ after you use your newfound connection to all the hottest to remind them that we were in those shots too, amiright?” Jessika asked, giving an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle.

“Maker, I think we need to separate her and Poe for a bit. Isn’t that his move?” Paige fake whispered. 

Rey finally cracked a smile at that, feeling that pain in her chest finally dissipating. “You know, they do say that those super in tune couples do eventually start to look the same,” she whispered back. 

“Does that mean that soon, you’ll be stomping around with a permanent scowl?” Finn teased. 

“Oh, the scowliest. I’ll learn from the best,” Rey replied, smirking. 

“Oh whatever. Now  _ you’re _ the jealous one, because everyone knows that my not-boyfriend is hotter,” Jessika scoffed, rolling her eyes. 

“I don’t know what any of you are talking about, when everyone knows that mine is the hottest,” Paige said. 

Three pairs of startled eyes turned on her. 

“Paige, you don’t have a boyfriend,” Rey said, slowly and carefully. 

“Don’t I?” Paige asked, only too innocently as she sipped her drink. 

“Are you holding  _ out _ on us?” Finn asked, aghast. 

Paige just shrugged and continued sipping. 

Even as the night ended, no one knew if Paige was serious or not.  

* * *

 

“At least they told you,” Ben said as he held her close that evening. “That’s how you know that they are great friends who care. If they weren’t really your good friends, they would have just said those things behind you back,  _ without  _ the reminders that they care about you regardless of their jealousies.” 

Rey sighed, snuggling further into his embrace. Their bodies were finally cooled after their slow and passionate lovemaking, a far departure from the frantic fucking they’d engaged in earlier in the day. He hadn’t even let a minute pass when she asked if she could stop by after dinner, coming immediately to meet her at the nearest corner. She was glad that she wasn’t able to drink, as she didn’t want her emotions controlled by alcohol at a time like this. She was able to vent to Ben with a clear head, made even more clear after their romantic endeavors. 

“I know, but it makes me nervous about what people who  _ don’t _ love me could say if they find out about everything,” she said softly. 

“It’s bound to happen,” he conceded with a sigh. “If our relationship goes the way I hope it will, one day the world will make the connections and all of your success is bound to be thrown into a questionable light. But Luke made a good point about hoping that you have a large body of work by then. No one will be able to deny your talent once it’s displayed the way it should be. We’ll just get the credit for polishing a diamond in the rough.” 

Rey hardly heard that last half, however, as she was far too distracted by the beginning of what he’d said. 

“How do you hope this relationship goes?” she asked, staring up at him. 

He smirked softly down at her, pressing a kiss to her forehead before sliding a hand into her hair, playing with the tresses. “I have a lot of ways I hope this relationship will go, and they are all aimed at the same direction.” 

“And that is…” 

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through them both. “You’re a clever girl, Miss Niima. I think you know.” 

She pushed up then, only slightly annoyed that, even half up on her side, she still was hardly eye level with him. How in the world did a person get that tall and broad? 

“Ben, what are you trying to say?” she pushed, feeling her heart hammering hard in her chest. 

He only looked at her with the softest look in his eyes, affection clear in his lazy smile. “I love you, sweetheart. That’s what I’m trying to say. I love you and I hope that our relationship continues to the point of marriage and a family, because you’re the one I want all of that with. Not today, of course, but one day I’d love to call you wife and mother to my children.” 

“I-- _ huh _ ?” she replied oh-so-elegantly. 

He chuckled again, tugging her back down so that he could kiss her with soft passion. “You don’t have to say it back if you don’t feel it, sweetheart. I am happy to wait for you.” 

“What? No! I love you, too, Ben! I do. I really, really do! I’m just a little shocked that you could possibly love me,” she blurted out in a rush. 

Today had been a lot of ups and downs, but  _ this  _ was not one that she had thought to add to it. He was serious, right? But even a brief glance at his face told her that he was. 

“Holy shit, you love me,” she whispered, slowly sinking back down. 

“And you love me,” he added, kissing her again. “That’s the ideal of the situation, of course.” 

She scowled. “Ben! How can you make jokes at a time like this!” 

“Easy: I’m happy because I know that the woman I want to worship for the rest of my days has deigned to love me back,” he smirked. 

“Oh my god, you actually  _ do _ love me,” she whispered. 

“Sweetheart, your confidence…” 

“I know, I know. I’m just reeling a bit is all. Today’s been pretty intense.” 

He frowned. “I’m sorry, again, for adding to that earlier. I’m...I’m not sure what came over me. Well, no, I suppose that’s a lie. I guess I’m a bit jealous, too.” 

“What in the world are you jealous of?” she asked, instantly confused. 

“Now the whole world is going to notice how incredible you are, and I’m going to have to share you more than I had to before. I apologize for letting that get in my head too much and feeling the need to--Maker, it sounds so barbaric when I put it this way, but there is no better way than to say that I wanted to  _ claim  _ you. I hope you can forgive me.” 

A dead silence filled the space between them, and Ben’s brow steadily furrowed as he waited for to say something,  _ anything.  _

“Holy shit, Ben. That is the second hottest thing someone has ever said to me,” she said, finally finding a voice, although it was tight. 

“The second?” he asked, his head tilting a moment to the side. 

She smiled and wiggled up so that she could be face to face with him. “The  _ first,  _ was that you love me.” She punctuated that with a kiss, a bit more fierce than the one he had given her before. 

She felt his answer stirring against her thighs. With a confident grin, she nudged him to his back and straddled his waist, sinking down onto him without losing contact with his lips once. They whispered and screamed their love several more times that night, and even into the gray of morning. As she fell asleep, she dreamt of the life he promised, of their wedding and the birth of their children. When she awoke in the morning, she reassured herself that it hadn’t  _ just  _ been her dreams and they professed their love all over again. 

But, as life unfortunately went, Ben still had work to attend, and Rey had to get home so that she could get ready for her fitting for that fashion show in two weeks. A quick glance at her phone showed several new events having been added (did Luke  _ ever _ sleep?), which meant that her schedule really was filling up fast. As she and Ben showered (with only minimal hanky panky) she happily recited off the designers she’d be working for and when. 

“Oh, that reminds me! I know that the engagement is fresh, but let me know the moment that Gwen and Hux set a wedding date. I know she mentioned a spring wedding, but that’s coming up pretty soon and Luke seems determined to get me working every single day. I’d hate to miss you being a sexy best man,” she said. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already gotten a venue picked out. You know how organized they both are,” he smirked, “washing” her hips. “And that’s good that he wants to find a job for every day on your calendar. That’s what a top model does: she’s constantly working to keep the public reminded of why she’s on top.” He leaned down then, his lips brushing over her ear. “Which you are  _ wonderful  _ at being, by the way.” 

_ “Ben!”  _ she groaned, tilting her head towards his lips. “You’re going to be late for work if you keep that up. I can’t imagine letting you go. I want to just live in this little bubble where we’re in love and nothing important happens in the outside world to keep us apart.” 

He kissed her cheek, chastely, and pulled away, turning to rinse out his hair. “You’ll most likely be free during the week of Christmas. Where have you always dreamed of having it? Paris? Disney? Maybe Tokyo to get some KFC? Anywhere you want, we can go.” 

“I think here with you is perfect for me,” she replied honestly. While travelling sounded fun, she wanted to spend their first (because now she knew for a fact that there would be more) Christmas in a familiar atmosphere. 

“I have to warn you that staying here means being obligated to see my family,” he reminded her, throwing a smirk at her over his shoulder.

“We owe our very meeting to them. It’s best to appreciate that, don’t you think?” she teased. Knowing she was well washed already, she hugged him from the back and kissed his shoulder blade. “I’m going to get out and start your breakfast. Take your time.” 

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he replied, squeezing her arm briefly. 

Rey slipped on her robe and threw her hair up in a towel, happily padding out to the kitchen to begin their food. She was finally feeling comfortable enough to cook with all his fancy gadgets, although she hardly did anything fancy, just bacon, eggs, and some toast. Belatedly she realized that he had potatoes to make hash browns with, but she knew that the sodium would make her bloat (if the bacon didn’t take care of that on its own) and she had a fitting to look good for. As she plated up their food, she mentally bemoaned the strains of being a model. She hated missing out of her favourite foods, but at least she knew that she could have them on the days when she wasn’t expected to be molded into something perfect.

Ben came out in a pair of dark jeans and a dark gray sweater, the zipper at his neck left open to reveal a white shirt beneath. 

“It smells delicious, sweetheart. Thank you,” he praised as he sat down at the peninsula. 

She beamed at the praise and sat down beside him, already full of the happy sense of domestic bliss. Her mind briefly touched back on her thoughts about moving in with him and she wondered at what point that became appropriate. They admitted their love, after all, so when did the rest follow? 

“Ah, I see that I have an invitation to brunch at my mother’s this Sunday. You’re specifically listed as being in attendance,” he said, turning his tablet to show her the flowery email he’d been sent. 

She laughed at that. “Luke told me yesterday. I guess she wants to celebrate the success of the spread.” 

“I told you before that she’ll use any excuse to celebrate  _ anything _ ,” he reminded her with a knowing smirk.

“But you’ll come, right?” she asked. 

“Sweetheart, I’d follow you to the ends of the world,” he promised with a look in his eyes that she knew meant it was very, very true.  

“I love you,” she said, because she hadn’t said it in about an hour and that was entirely too long. 

“I love you, too,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss. 

Rey sighed happily into it. He tasted like bacon, after all. Bacon, and boyfriend who loved her. She’d never felt so lucky before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEY SAID THE THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments!! I love you all and thank you for reading!


End file.
